Ref Watch: Simon Hooper 'technically did nothing wrong' over Man City call vs Tottenham, says Dermot Gallagher

Dermot Gallagher, who used to be a referee, covers the key moments from the most recent round of games in the 2023/24 Premier League season, including a contentious decision made towards the end of the match at the Etihad on "Super Sunday."

City And Spurs Share 3-3 Draw

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Event: During the game between Man City and Spurs, Simon Hooper delayed the play by calling Jack Grealish offside when he was in a scoring position, even though he had initially allowed the play to continue. The game was tied at 3-3 in Etihad.

DERMOT'S OPINION: Legally speaking, he has not committed any wrongdoing.

Dermot stated that this situation was challenging because the boy in question tends to utilize the advantage rule more often than anyone else. He appropriately continues playing, but unfortunately, Simon decides to end the game for some unknown reason.

If he had waited a little longer, everything would have been different. Legally speaking, he did not commit any offense. The decision to take advantage is up to the referee and cannot be made by anyone else.

Stephen Warnock acknowledged that humans make mistakes; however, Simon Hooper made a massive blunder. Warnock believes that Hooper will regret his decision.

Chelsea Defeats Brighton 3-2

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EVENT: During the game, Conor Gallagher, the captain of Chelsea, received a second yellow card after making a tackle on Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour from behind.

Dermot has given his approval of the decision made, stating it to be the appropriate one.

In my opinion, it seems like a second yellow card based on how the tackle was made. The player did eventually get the ball, but first, he tackled the man which is not good. Moreover, the tackle was not pleasant, and the player had already received a yellow card earlier. Therefore, it was not a wise decision for him to make at that time.

Happening: During the Brighton game, James Milner caused Mykhailo Mudryk to fall in the penalty area while he was nearing the goal. This resulted in Chelsea being awarded a penalty. Although the referee only gave Milner a yellow card, some believe he should have received a red card instead.

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The initial judgment made by the referee was against giving a penalty; however, Craig Pawson changed his decision after analyzing the incident on the sideline monitor.

DERMOT'S OPINION: The decisions were correct.

Dermot expresses that the player's action was not graceful and that it resulted in a penalty. He also believes that VAR made a wise decision to intervene. According to the rules, it's hard to justify a red card for tripping with the feet.

The decision was not made gracefully. In my opinion, a red card was not warranted. When a player makes physical contact or grabs someone's jersey without attempting to play the ball, it's simpler to justify a sending off.

When a player genuinely tries to touch the ball, the referee may only give them a yellow card. It's hard to argue that the player didn't try to touch the ball as they used their feet.

Stephen Warnock expressed his thoughts on a recent decision and questioned whether it was clear and obvious enough to be overturned. He stated that he was unsure if it was a penalty or not.

Sue Smith said that she believes that it is indeed a penalty, but not worthy of a red card as the player seemed to try to make a play for the ball.

EVENT: Although there was a collision in the box between Kostas Tsimikas and Bobby Decordova-Reid, Trent Alexander-Arnold's winning goal against Fulham was approved.

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DERMOT'S OPINION: The decision is accurate.

In my opinion, it's not a foul. The players just collided and it's not like the one player deliberately attacked the other. I don't believe a foul was committed and it would be difficult to persuade me otherwise.

Bournemouth And Aston Villa Tie 2-2

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EVENT: Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth grabbed Leon Bailey's shirt while having already received a yellow card.

The referee, Thomas Brammall, was unable to detect the tug and VAR does not have the authority to issue a yellow card.

Dermot's opinion: The decision made was incorrect.

Dermot commented that the man in Bournemouth was very fortunate as he did not receive a red card for what he did.

Newcastle Defeats Manchester United 1-0

There was an incident during the match between Man Utd and Newcastle where Diogo Dalot accidentally kicked the ball into his own arm while in the box. However, the referees did not give a penalty for it.

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DERMOT'S DECISION: Right choice.

Dermot believes that the supporters of Newcastle will see themselves as being punished twice after the event at PSG. The occurrence on the previous Tuesday was a mistake, however, this time it was not.

"He strikes the ball and it soars from his foot, just like it did on the previous Tuesday. It was not a penalty, just like the one on Tuesday."

EVENT: Fabian Schar from Newcastle was finally issued a yellow card for making contact with the foot of Bruno Fernandes in a challenge. In the beginning, the match continued without any interruption.

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In Dermot's opinion, the player received a warning (yellow card) but did not commit a serious offense (red card).

Dermot shared his opinion saying that the play shouldn't have continued. The player was trying to grab the ball and accidentally stepped on someone's foot.

In my opinion, that deserves a yellow card since it didn't go higher than his ankle and shin. However, if the tackle was higher than that, then a red card would be appropriate.

EVENT: Antony's goal against Newcastle doesn't count because it hit Harry Maguire, who was offside, before going into the goal.

Dermot's opinion: The decision made was accurate.

Dermot has shared his view that Maguire was not in sync with the goalkeeper, which caused him to receive a penalty due to touching the ball and disrupting the play.

It's quite fascinating because one person realized immediately that the impact has occurred, while the other individual, Antony, went to rejoice without knowledge that it penetrated him directly.

Perhaps the goalkeeper prevented it from going in, but since the ball bounced off him and entered the net directly, it was inevitable that the goal would be invalidated.

Everton Wins 1-0 Against Nottingham Forest

EVENT: Michael Oliver, the VAR, chooses not to give a penalty to Nottingham Forest even though Abdoulaye Doucoure tugged on Ryan Yates's shirt inside the penalty area.

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Dermot's conclusion is that the decision made was incorrect.

Dermot believes that it should be considered a penalty due to three distinct reasons. Initially, the player in question displayed a lack of concern for the ball as he never looked at it. Subsequently, he held onto the opposing player's shirt for an excessive amount of time instead of releasing his grip. Lastly, he tripped the player, ultimately leading to the conclusion that a penalty is in order.