Officially Speaking – with Keith Hackett

MATCHWEEK 30 PREMIER LEAGUE REFEREE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

SATURDAY 3RD APRIL

CHELSEA V WEST BROMWICH ALBION RESULT 2-5
Referee: David Coote. Assistants: Neil Davies, Nick Hopton. Fourth official: Darren England. VAR: Chris Kavanagh. Assistant VAR: Peter Kirkup.

A good performance by Referee David Coote who issued two yellow cards to Thiago Silva followed by the red.
Silva on review should feel lucky that the referee and VAR failed to detect that the first foul was on a player who was denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity.

A player receives a yellow card when he commits a RECKLESS CHALLENGE. the law states that when a player acts with disregard to the danger to (or consequences for) an opponent they must be cautioned (yellow card).
It is difficult to understand why after receiving a yellow card a player fails to take more care with ongoing challenges so that they avoid a second yellow resulting in dismissal.

West Brom produced a remarkable result for a team on the brink of relegation.

LEEDS UNITED V SHEFFIELD UNITED RESULT 2-1
Referee: Graham Scott. Assistants: Richard West, Mark Scholes. Fourth official: Kevin Friend. VAR: Jarred Gillett. Assistant VAR: Marc Perry.

We have discussed on many occasions the subject of Technology support for Referees, and many are cynical particularly about VAR. However, let’s focus on one piece of technology that has proved to be brilliant and that is goal-line technology.
In this game, the ball was pinging around the goal area when GLT signalled to the referee that the ball had crossed over the goal line. Replays in slow motion showed the ball well over the line. With the score at 1-1, Jagielka scored an own goal resulting in another win for Leeds United.

One area of concern was a head injury sustained to Sheffield United’s George Baldock. I was surprised that he was allowed to play on given that concussion substitutes are now in operation in the Premier League. He was replaced eleven minutes after sustaining the head injury. Sheffield United’s Jaydon Bogle also sustained a head injury and was immediately replaced later in the game.

Thinking ahead, I would like the authorities to consider the introduction of a blue card to indicate to all stakeholders in the game that a player is been replaced by a concussion substitute.

Referee Scott can be pleased with his contribution to the game.

LEICESTER CITY V MANCHESTER CITY RESULT 0-2
Referee: Anthony Taylor. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn. Fourth official: Craig Pawson. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: Timothy Wood.

The question that stakeholders in the game are asking is can Manchester City win three trophies this season.
On this display, playing some excellent football their performance was terrific. They were the deserved winners in a week that saw them announce that their talisman player would be leaving the club at the end of the season. Sergio Aguero has at times set the Premier League alight with some wonderful displays of skill.

ARSENAL V LIVERPOOL RESULT 0-3
Referee: Stuart Attwell. Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Sian Massey-Ellis. Fourth official: Andre Marriner. VAR: Jonathan Moss. Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday.

I had to look twice when I saw referee Stuart Attwell enter the field having clearly managed to secure a Covid-19 haircut. ‘Was it an April Fool day joke?’ I asked myself!

Referee Attwell has grown in confidence this season and this proved to be another sound display of officiating. His movement around the field of play was first class, coupled with a good work rate saw him maintaining excellent proximity to play. He played some first-class advantages and was always in full control of the proceedings.

Liverpool were the deserved winners and Stuart Attwell the referee produced a terrific performance.

SUNDAY 4TH APRIL

SOUTHAMPTON V BURNLEY RESULT 3-2
Referee: Andre Marriner. Assistants: Scott Ledger, Derek Eaton. Fourth official: Simon Hooper. VAR: Jonathan Moss. Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday.

Referee Andre Marriner awarded a penalty kick but was pulled out of the mire with the correct intervention by VAR Jon Moss. The VAR recommending that Marriner review the decision on the monitor. He did and overturned his own decision.

Kyle Walker-Peters committed a foul which resulted in Burnley’s Chris Wood scoring from the resulting free kick.

Vydra then gave Burnley a two-goal lead with a brilliant shot on goal. Southampton’s Danny Ings passed the ball to Stuart Armstrong who scored making the score 1-2 before Danny Ings scored to bring the score level.
Nathan Edmunds scored the winner for Southampton.

With the score at 3-2, Burnley were unlucky not to have had a penalty kick awarded in their favour. Chris Woods was clearly pulled back by Southampton’s Bednarek with the clear offence going unpunished. Referee Marriner was not in a good position to see the incident and might have expected help from the VAR.

NEWCASTLE UNITED V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR RESULT  2-2
Referee: Craig Pawson. Assistants: Ian Hussin, Eddie Smart. Fourth official: Lee Mason. VAR: Darren England. Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday.

I really would like to see referee Pawson achieve greater consistency in the quality of his decision-making. He is generally having a better season since improving his fitness and mobility on the field of play. However, there were times in this game where players from both sides were a little bemused with some of his decisions.

ASTON VILLA V FULHAM RESULT 3-1
Referee: Andy Madley. Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Long. Fourth official: Robert Jones. VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: James Mainwaring.

A particularly good performance by referee Madley who correctly overturned his incorrect penalty kick award after VAR Attwell intervened.

Fulham took the lead in the 61st minute the goal scored by Fulham’s Mitrovic after Tyrone Mings made a huge mess of an attempted back pass to his goalkeeper.

Aston Villa’s manager Dean Smith will be happy that his shrewd introduction of Renegued inspired Villa’s late flourish with two goals in 78th and 81st minute. Watkins of Villa added a third for Villa to record an important win.

MANCHESTER UNITED V BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION RESULT 2-1
Referee: Mike Dean. Assistants: Darren Cann, Dan Robathan. Fourth official: Chris Kavanagh. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: Matthew Wilkes.

Mike Dean found himself in midfield and in the way of a challenge by a Manchester United player on his opponent, Sadly and rather embarrassingly Brighton gained space and went onto score.

The news came this week that 52-year-old Mike is going to give it another season.

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