Red Card Mayhem: Controversial Calls for Spurs' Cristian Romero and Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah in North London Derby?
Controversial decisions in the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham, Luton's penalty against Wolves, VAR's impact on Chelsea's defeat to Aston Villa, and the ruling on Newcastle's first goal in their massive win against Sheffield United
Dermot Gallagher gives his verdict on the flashpoints of the Premier League weekend, including Eddie Nketiah's reckless challenge on Guglielmo Vicario in the north London derby.
Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham
Questioning whether Nketiah deserved a red card, the incident involved him lunging at Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, resulting in a collision. Referee Rob Jones issued Nketiah a yellow card, and VAR opted against further penalties.
DERMOT'S OPINION: "Why would someone propose such a challenging situation? I doubt he could successfully take possession of the ball. If he received a red card in that instance, he would not have any valid objections. Fortunately, he does not collide with him forcefully.
If he does end up striking his leg, both Nketiah and the goalkeeper would be in significant jeopardy."
"It was checked by the VAR, it was felt that the referee had got the decision right."
Was Romero's handball for Arsenal's penalty the right call?
RESULT: The incident occurred when Cristian Romero was penalized for handling in the Arsenal penalty area. This happened when Ben White's shot hit his arm near the goal line. Rob Jones, the VAR referee, reviewed the incident on the monitor and awarded a penalty, but did not send Romero off.
This incident followed a previous ruling by VAR where there was no penalty given for a similar handball by Romero during Tottenham's 2-0 victory over Manchester United in August.
DERMOT'S OPINION: RIGHT CALL
"Is Romero using his arms to maintain balance as he goes in? Yes. However, his arms are extended and the ball hits his arm, preventing the shot from going in. He may feel somewhat aggrieved for conceding a penalty, but he's fortunate because had Bissouma not been positioned behind him, he would have been red-carded as well since the ball was heading towards the goal undefended."
"His arm is out, VAR has seen it, it's heading towards the goal. It didn't surprise me when I saw the replay."
Should Arsenal have had another penalty?
INCIDENT: Destiny Udogie attempts to head clear Reiss Nelson's corner but his arm unintentionally makes contact with the ball while under pressure from Gabriel. Referee Rob Jones correctly awards a corner and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) does not identify it as a handball.
DERMOT SAYS: The decision made by Rob Jones is correct.
Luton 1-1 Wolves
Was the Wolves player's jump with his arms a fair play in the Luton penalty incident? It seems that his defensive action did not effectively block any potential infringement, making him quite fortunate not to have given away a penalty in that situation.INCIDENT: Luton are awarded a controversial penalty after Joao Gomes is adjudged to have handled in the area. Carlton Morris scores to make it 1-1.
DERMOT SAYS: CORRECT DECISION
"It's a challenging decision, in my opinion. Usually, if the ball deflects off a player before hitting their arm, it is not penalized. In this case, it clearly does that.
"The ball deflects off him swiftly. However, due to the abnormally high position of his arm, it will be penalized. Once the referee makes the call and refers it to the VAR, the penalty will be awarded. His arm is positioned exceptionally high, hence the decision to penalize."
The referee addresses the VAR, who would initiate the conversation by questioning the handball decision, asking why it was given. In response, the referee acknowledges that the ball indeed hit the player's thigh, but emphasizes that his arm was positioned significantly high. The decisive factor is the proximity and elevation of the arm.
While it may not be a favorable outcome for some, including the speaker, due to the arm's elevated position, once the referee makes the call, it cannot be reversed.
Bellegarde's expulsion, considering the circumstances, was justified.
CONTENT: Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was shown a red card for his violent conduct towards Tom Lockyer. The referee promptly dismissed him, and the VAR system concurred with the decision.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: "As a player, such behavior is unacceptable. However, this incident serves as an important learning opportunity for the referee.
"I believe it is a red card, but I hope the referee will acknowledge the need to intervene as he passes by and regain control of the situation. He had a clear view of the incident; we should not leave two players frustrated on the ground. The assistant attentively observed the situation and informed the referee about Bellegarde's actions, classifying them as a red card offense."
Man City 2-0 Nottingham Forest
Was Rodri's red card justified?
INCIDENT: Manchester City's Rodri is sent off for holding Morgan Gibbs-White by the neck.
DERMOT'S OPINION: "The incident involving Casemiro and Will Hughes was similar. Casemiro grabbed Hughes by the throat, resulting in his dismissal. This demonstrates the desired consistency in decision-making.
"Whenever a player places their hands on an opponent's throat, they are taking a significant gamble. This is the precise observation made by the referee."
Chelsea 0-1 Aston Villa
Was VAR right to upgrade Gusto yellow to a red card?
INCIDENT: Chelsea's Malo Gusto commits a foul on Aston Villa's Lucas Digne, leading to a yellow card issued by referee Jared Gillet. However, following the recommendation of VAR, the decision is revised to a red card. Gillet confirms the red card after reviewing the incident on the monitor.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: "In my opinion, it is clearly a red card. I had that impression from the initial viewing. Gusto recklessly jumped into the challenge and made contact with his studs."
As a player, it is your responsibility to take care of your opponent and avoid deliberately stepping on them.
The referee, not the VAR, was the one who took the time to review the incident. The VAR reached a decision promptly.
Sheffield United 0- 8 Newcastle
Should Newcastle's first of eight have been ruled out?
Anthony Gordon receives the ball on the byline and passes to Sean Longstaff, who scores the first goal for Newcastle against Sheffield United. The Blades players argued that Gordon had taken the ball out of play and that he used his hand to control the ball in the lead-up.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: "In order for it to be considered a goal, the entire ball must cross the entire line. However, that is not the case here. As the player brings the ball over the line, it accidentally hits his hand, which ironically keeps it in play. Although it is not intentional, this action is not deemed as deliberate handball. Therefore, according to the new interpretation, a handball must be deliberate for it to be considered a violation. Both the referee and VAR disagreed with this being a handball, resulting in the goal being awarded."
