Officially Speaking – with Keith Hackett
REVIEW OF PREMIER LEAGUE GAMES THURSDAY 9th JULY
ASTON VILLA V MANCHESTER UNITED
REFEREE: JON MOSS
This game turned on a refereeing error. A Manchester United player went to ground in his opponent’s penalty area. Referee Moss pointed to the penalty mark. Replays clearly showed that it was the forward of Manchester United who had committed the offence. VAR did not intervene and United took the lead from the spot.
Referee Moss and the VAR you were wrong.
EVERTON V SOUTHAMPTON
REFEREE: LEE MASON
Oh dear! We start off with referee Lee Mason awarding a penalty kick. There was no foul, the attacker went to ground before contacting the defender.
Why was there no intervention from VAR Andy Madley? it was a CLEAR AND OBVIOUS ERROR.
Later in the game, with the score at 1-1, an Everton player in possession of the ball making a run towards his opponent’s goal and was fouled by a Southampton player. The offence was outside the area, there were no other defenders around the player and the ball and the player in possession at the time of the offence were moving towards the goal.
It should have been a RED CARD, not a yellow for the denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
This was another case of the Referee and VAR getting it wrong. Incidentally, had the foul been committed inside the penalty area, the defender who fouled because he had made an attempt to play the ball, then it would have resulted in the yellow card and penalty kick.
Surely this must be Lee Mason’s last season in the Premier League. He is frankly not good enough.
BOURNEMOUTH V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
REFEREE PAUL TIERNEY
There was another refereeing controversy in this game. The ball entered the penalty area and there was a clear push on Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
Paul Tierney, who is usually a good decision maker was motionless. We awaited the intervention of VAR Michael Oliver who WRONGLY SUPPORTED Tierney’s decision. This was a huge mistake.
Bournemouth had the ball in the net but there was an accidental handball on the way to goal so it was correctly ruled out. What a stupid law!
WHAT A POOR NIGHT FOR ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE REFEREEING – SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
KEITH HACKETT
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