Whether or not it was a penalty, the yellow card that goes with it seems harsh. Is it automatically a yellow when you give away a penalty? Always seems to be after a VAR one
I don't understand the comments about VAR overturning the penalty decision. It's probably true that neither the outstretched leg or the shirt pull was enough for Silva to fall over but when has that ever mattered? If the ref didn't see the shirt pull then it was a clear and obvious error. The outstretched leg on it's own, probably not but pulling the shirt was an obvious foul. Penalty for me and I would accept that even if it was against Saints. (Well maybe not but it was still a foul).
Just seen it. For me it’s a foul followed by a dive (ie Silva wanted to ‘make sure’ the ref had a decision to make. Never going to happen but I’d like to see penalty plus Silva yellow card for that
Peter Walton is confidently and stubbornly talking absolute nonsense. And doubling and tripling down Which kind of shows the issue with VAR and referees
Peter Walton is the biggest waste of oxygen around, never says anything useful or insightful. No idea how he still has a job
Sums up everything wrong with the PL at the moment. Refs are totally clueless and have never played the game. Either both of those are pens, or neither. Both were soft as ****
I doubt we'll ever find out, but it will be interesting to know what the referee did see. The way that he was so emphatic with his arm movement, to reject the penalty appeal, clearly illustrated that he saw something. And my assumption would be that was the shirt pull.
Refs have never played the game, is why they became refs because they couldn’t actually play football
He contradicted himself completely and utterly and didn’t bat an eyelid when called out . Just carried on insisting what he was saying made sense
Hard on Watford, but good result for us. Pity really - one of those games where I wanted both teams to lose!
Difficult to know how much to read into the rumours that Ranieri is close to the sack. Every Watford manager is close to the sack, from the moment they agree to join.
Craig Dawson will be delighted at hearing that final whistle. He's a bad CB anyway, but those last 10-ish minutes from him were something else.
Funny; just done same; thought during game highlights, much the same but after motd analysis, think it’s a “maybe” & understand why Var didn’t review. Late goal very harsh on Arsenal. Tough game football, as we know very well.
As I've said many times before, there is something seriously flawed in a game which can be decided on the subjective opinion of a set of officials who have never played the game at a competitive level. Glad MOTD cleared up the first Gabriel yellow though, it was nothing to do with scuffing up the penalty spot,, but running up to the ref afterwards.
Please, feel free to suggest an alternative. It's impossible to be both a professional footballer and a professional referee. It's possible to play non-league football and then become a referee like Jon Moss. But you have to turn your back on playing pretty quickly. Even if you're fast tracked through the system it will take a good 10 years at least to become a professional referee.
