Officially Speaking – with Keith Hackett
Friday 11th December
LEEDS UNITED V WEST HAM UNITED RESULT 1-2
Referee: Michael Oliver Assistants: Stuart Burt, Simon Bennett Fourth official: Darren England VAR: Jarred Gillett Assistant VAR: Matthew Wilkes
This was Referee Oliver’s seventeenth game of the season following his additional busy schedule in Europe. At Stockley Park I was delighted to see that Australia’s former top referee Jarred Gillet was the appointed VAR.
There is no doubt that watching Leeds United playing their quick tempo football is a delight. However, their attacking style reveals their weakness at the back for quick counter-attacks and defending set piece free kicks and corners.
Leeds United took the lead in the sixth minute following the correct award of a penalty kick by Oliver. Leeds United player Mateusz Klich attempted to pass the goalkeeper with a rather pathetic penalty kick. He was clearly embarrassed. However, after a two-minute delay, VAR intervened and adjudged that goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski had not retained one foot in contact with the goal line. It was a close call. I was inundated with emails questioning why the goalkeeper had not received a yellow card. Well, this season IFAB the lawmakers amended the law and included the following:
LAW 14 PENALTY KICK
If the goalkeeper’s offence results in the kick being retaken, the goalkeeper is warned for the first offence in the game and cautioned for any subsequent offence(s) in the game
Explanation – Most goalkeepers encroachment results from mis-anticipation when the ball is kicked. So, the goalkeeper should not be cautioned for a first offence but must be cautioned for any further offences at that kick or any subsequent kicks.
West Ham now demonstrate a greater resilience since David Moyes took over. They managed to score in the 25th minute through Bowen and then the winner by Cresswell in the 80th.
Michael Oliver started the weekend of fixtures with a good performance. However, I have one piece of advice and that is for him to give more thought to his positioning in open play. There were times in this game when he was frankly in the way and creating an obstacle to player’s ability to pass the ball.
Saturday 12th December
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS V ASTON VILLA RESULT 0-1
Referee: Mike Dean Assistants: Darren Cann, Mark Scholes Fourth official: Robert Jones VAR: Graham Scott Assistant VAR: Timothy Wood
The main talking point of this rather feisty game was the fact that Referee Mike Dean issued eleven yellow cards and two red cards in this game after going on a card spree.
Managers and players should know Dean by now and that if they do not play to the laws of the game, he will not hesitate to apply the appropriate sanction.
Douglas Luiz was yellow-carded early in the game the Wolves player frankly going to ground far too easily and I thought that the referee got this one wrong. I am not going to say that it was soft, this was not a challenge worthy of a sanction. His second yellow was deserved after leading into the challenge with his arm/elbow.
Wolves hit the post from a terrific strike and were unlucky not to take the lead, the game was won by Aston Villa scoring from the penalty mark.
The hosts then had Joao Moutinho sent off for a second yellow which was an extremely poor decision from Dean. The Villa player went to ground with no contact. It was an act of simulation.
Dean has now reached a statistic of having issued 3000 yellow cards in his lengthy career. It was interesting to see that his pal Chris Foy (employed by the PGMOL) came out to defend Dean. Foy should stick to the facts and talk about the nonsense of issuing this many cards when two of them that resulted in red cards were INCORRECT DECISIONS IN LAW.
Mike Dean’s Stats for 2020/21: 9 Games, 3 Red Cards,33 Yellow Cards
NEWCASTLE UNITED V WEST BROMWICH ALBION RESULT 2-1
Referee: Darren England Assistants: Adrian Holmes, James Mainwaring Fourth official: Martin Atkinson VAR: Anthony Taylor Assistant VAR: Gary Beswick
It was good to see another appointment for Darren England who has made a solid start to his career in the Select Group 1 panel of referees.
Newcastle United opened the scoring in 25 seconds through Joelinton. West Brom equalised early in the second half from a shot by Furlong, which was his first Premier League goal.
Newcastle then came close to scoring but the ball headed off the line from a corner kick. They then scored the winning goal after a terrific header from Dwight Gayle playing his first game of the season.
MANCHESTER UNITED V MANCHESTER CITY RESULT 0-0
Referee: Chris Kavanagh Assistants: Lee Betts, Constantine Hatzidakis Fourth official: Craig Pawson VAR: Paul Tierney Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin
This is always a terrific appointment for a referee, and I am delighted to say that Referee Chris Kavanagh delivered an excellent performance. He allowed the game to flow applying some excellent advantages a sign of his confidence.
Kavanagh has created a solid foundation for his recent performances by improving his fitness and delivering much-improved movement on the field of play. He pointed to the penalty mark after judging that Rashford had been fouled. However, VAR made the correct intervention the United player was offside.
EVERTON V CHELSEA RESULT 1-0
Referee: Jonathan Moss Assistants: Marc Perry, Dan Robathan Fourth official: Lee Mason VAR: Andre Marriner Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday
2,000 spectators allowed into the stands now; let us hope that this can be maintained and in the new year move towards the 10,000 mark.
There was an explosive start to the game when in the 20th minute the Chelsea goalkeeper made a reckless challenge on his opponent. Referee Jon Moss (although some yards away from the play) correctly pointed to the penalty mark. Everton took the lead through a rather casual spot-kick.
Pickford made two good saves in the game, one a terrific shot on goal which the goalkeeper deflected onto the goal post.
Everton were awarded another penalty kick, but this was overturned by a VAR review who correctly highlighted that in the build-up there was an offside offence.
Sunday 13th December
SOUTHAMPTON V SHEFFIELD UNITED RESULT 3-0
Referee: Andy Madley Assistants: Eddie Smart, Derek Eaton Fourth official: Gavin Ward VAR: Robert Jones Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday
Referee Madley was promoted to the FIFA list after ten games last season and this was his fourth Premier League game to date so far this season.
These referees do need to establish themselves on the League and having start/stop appointments hardly helps the official to find form.
Che Adams pounced in the box to poke in the opener, Stuart Armstrong scored a deflected second, and Nathan Redmond came off the bench to add a delightful third.
It was another poor performance from the Blades who sadly at this stage of the season are firm favourites to be relegated. This is a pity given the quality of Chris Wilder and his coaching team.
Referee Madley officiated in a low-key manner and can be happy with his performance.
CRYSTAL PALACE V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR RESULT 1-1
Referee: Kevin Friend Assistants: Simon Beck, Harry Lennard Fourth official: Tim Robinson VAR: Simon Hooper Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday
I get increasingly concerned with players who go to ground so easily to deceive the referee. The result was that there was no flow or continuity to the game.
Kane opened the scoring with a long-range shot that sent the Crystal Palace goalkeeper the wrong way. Schlupp of Crystal Palace equalised in the 81st minute. Spurs substitute Ben Davies hit the bar while Palace goalkeeper Guaita made up for his earlier error by making a great save from a Dier free kick.
Kevin Friend struggled in this game. There was no preventative and proactive refereeing. When he talks to players, they are just playing lip service. There is no interest and no respect.
FULHAM V LIVERPOOL RESULT 1-1
Referee: Andre Marriner Assistants: Scott Ledger, Simon Long Fourth official: Keith Stroud VAR: Lee Mason Assistant VAR: James Mainwaring
I was delighted that Andre Marriner became only the second referee this season to go to the pitchside monitor to review a claim for a penalty kick to Fulham and stick with his original decision to award a corner kick.
Later in the game, he also correctly awarded a penalty kick when Aboubakar Kamara blocked Gini Wijnaldum’s free kick with his elbow. It was ball-to-hand, after all (rather than the other way round), but the arm was in an unnatural position, and the award of the penalty kick correct in law.
ARSENAL V BURNLEY RESULT 0-1
Referee: Graham Scott Assistants: Peter Kirkup, Richard West Fourth official: Stuart Attwell VAR: David Coote Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton
Arsenal’s defeat by Burnley was helped when Granit Xhaka was sent off for grabbing his opponent by the throat. A correct decision by the referee.
The only blot on the officials’ performance was that they missed what should have been a red card for Mohamed Elneny. He clearly fouled James Tarkowski in the penalty area and should have been sent off for lifting his hands to the Burnley player’s face.
LEICESTER CITY V BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION RESULT 3-0
Referee: Martin Atkinson Assistants: Adam Nunn, Sian Massey-Ellis Fourth official: Peter Bankes VAR: Jonathan Moss Assistant VAR: Dan Robathan
Referee Atkinson delivered another positive performance as Leicester cruised to an easy win over Brighton.
The duo of Maddison (two goals) and Vardy (one goal) hitting the back of the net.
This result lifts them to third position in the league behind Tottenham and Liverpool
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