Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher assesses the controversial moments from the weekend's action, including Andy Robertson's red card in Liverpool's 2-2 home draw with Fulham.
Liverpool 2-2 Fulham
INCIDENT: Liverpool defender Andy Robertson is shown a straight red card after bringing down Harry Wilson for denying him a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
DERMOT SAYS: “I've had many chances to look at this again and I didn't think it was a red card at the time, and I still don't.
“Robertson doesn't know he's coming, he has a wrong control of the ball and Wilson takes the ball. Does he have control of the ball? No. Is he going to get control of the ball? Very doubtful because the Liverpool player is going to doing.” get their first. Is he heading towards goal no.
“There are too many variables and the 'O' [in DOGSO – Denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity] stands for obvious and not possible.
“Then (Raul) Jimenez has a shot and the whistle blows as (Virgil) Van Dijk clears the ball, so that creates a lot of complications.
“A more palatable decision would have been a yellow card.
“If you are going to give a red card, you blow the whistle, because once you blow the whistle you are in control of the situation. If he thinks it is a red card, just blow.
“If the referee had blown his whistle immediately, everyone would have accepted that.”
Wolves 1-2 Ipswich
INCIDENT: An irate Rayan Ait-Nouri is shown a second yellow card after the full-time whistle at Molineux before being dragged off the pitch, while Wolves teammate Matheus Cunha is involved in an angry altercation with a member of Ipswich's backroom team after the match. full time whistle.
DERMOT SAYS: “The pictures speak volumes and so does Craig Dawson [Ait-Nouri] a huge favor because he's so angry because that could have escalated into almost anything.
“No doubt the FA will look into this [Cunha’s confrontation] this morning. He elbowed the man on the back of the head and then took his glasses, and that is not the reaction you expect from a player.”
Man City 1-2 Man Utd
INCIDENT: Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund and Manchester City defender Kyle Walker faced off, with both players shown a yellow card.
DERMOT SAYS: “It wasn't a good advertisement for football, you shouldn't do it [going down like Walker did].
“I thought the referee [Anthony Taylor] did a good job, he didn't get carried away thinking it was something bigger than it was, it was just a push. It was a player who responded to a push, but we don't need that.”
INCIDENT: Manchester United are denied a penalty after Hojlund goes down under a challenge from Ruben Dias.
DERMOT SAYS: “I still don't think it's a penalty, I really don't.
“The defender goes to play the ball, Hojlund sees it coming and falls over himself and in slow motion it looks so much worse.
“I just think Hojlund was happy to go down and not interested in chasing the ball.”
Chelsea 2-1 Brentford
INCIDENT: Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella received a second yellow card and was sent off after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge.
DERMOT SAYS: “At the end of the match everyone was pushing and shoving, and Cucurella took an aggressive stance.
“He had just received a yellow card a minute earlier, so he should have known better.”
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Aston Villa
INCIDENT: Aston Villa were denied a penalty after VAR ruled Elliot Anderson's arm pull on Morgan Rogers as a “grabbing grab”.
DERMOT SAYS: “I think it's a foul [by Rogers on Anderson before he enters the box] and him [Anderson] then grabs him as he goes into the box.
“I think it's a penalty then, but I think the best outcome here in all honesty is for the VAR to recommend that the referee go to the monitor so he has all his options open. He would have seen Rogers tear. [Anderson’s] shirt right off his back and he can then give a free kick [to Forest].
“You have the same net result without punishment, but people are more accepting of it because that actually happened.”
INCIDENT: Nottingham Forest's winner against Aston Villa stands despite a possible foul on Matty Cash in the build-up.
DERMOT SAYS: “It depends who you talk to, some think it's a foul, some don't. What I would say is you can't referee football matches again.
“The referee has a good position and says that it is not a mistake and that you have to continue playing and certainly not for the VAR. If you interfere with that, you will look at every incident on the field.
“I don't think it's a foul, I think he wins the ball. I don't think that's a clear foul.”
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