Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher analyses the key incidents from Manchester United's win over Chelsea and Liverpool's victory at Sheffield United; Gallagher on Man Utd penalty: "This is what I call a modern-day penalty"
Thursday 7 December 2023 23:23, UK
Former referee Dermot Gallagher dissects the flashpoints from the December midweek Premier League round of fixtures, including the penalty in Manchester United's win over Chelsea and the incidents from Liverpool's victory at Sheffield United.
INCIDENT: Manchester United are awarded a penalty after Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez fouled Antony. The incident was missed in real time but VAR provided referee Chris Kavanagh with the evidence to overturn his original decision.
DERMOT SAYS: "Twenty-five years ago I wouldn't even have considered I'd get a foul for this, but this is what I call a modern-day penalty.
"You see a player make a tackle like this now and if it's going to be picked up it's a foul. VAR picked it up and you know that in this day and age that it's a penalty. But 25 years ago you wouldn't have dreamt of it.
"We've come to the stage now where if somebody places their studs on somebody's foot like that and it's picked up then a foul's always given, whereas when I played it just happened and we never thought about it."
INCIDENT: Chelsea defender Levi Colwill believed he was fouled by Scott McTominay as he headed in Manchester United's winner.
DERMOT SAYS: "It's a physical challenge and I don't think it's a foul.
"I think you have to be very careful because, even though you have to penalise foul play, you still have to allow it to be a contact sport and don't sanitise the game."
INCIDENT: Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was unhappy with Darwin Nunez's tackle on Jayden Bogle in the build-up to Liverpool's second goal at Bramall Lane.
DERMOT SAYS: "Nunez has quite clearly won the ball. He gets all of the ball and gets it before he makes contact with Bogle.
"If that was a Sheffield United player going into the penalty area and he makes a tackle like that you would never expect a penalty to be given against him.
"I think it's a tackle, the referee sees it clearly and it was checked by the VAR afterwards.
"Without doubt, Nunez clearly gets the ball first, comes away and Bogle goes over him, so for me it's not a foul."
INCIDENT: Sheffield United are not awarded a penalty for a challenge by Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate on James McAtee in the box.
DERMOT SAYS: "I don't think it's a foul. Konate's too strong for him. McAtee's off balance but I don't think it's a foul - you'd be very lucky to get a penalty for that.
"Defenders reach for players, as long as it's not sustained like pulling someone's shirt off the back."
