Ref Watch: David Brooks grabbed Marco Cucurella’s shirt, not his hair, in Chelsea v Bournemouth draw, says Dermot Gallagher | Football news
Former top referee Dermot Gallagher weighs in on the controversial moments from midweek action, including the first time in Premier League history that an official refused to review a red card on a pitchside monitor.
INCIDENT: David Brooks collides with Marco Cucurella off the ball and referee Robert Jones is sent to the pitchside monitor for a red card review. However, he decides not to send Brooks off – a first in the Premier League.
DERMOT’S VERDICT: “VAR recommends a review because it believes violent behavior is possible.
“I wonder if VAR thought Brooks pulled Cucurella by the hair. It looks like he pulled his hair.
“Brooks actually grabbed the front of Cucurella’s shirt. The referee looked at it for a long time and discussed it.
“He came to the conclusion that Brooks had pulled the top of his shirt down, creating a clothesline effect. The judge ruled it reckless, not violent because it was a shirt grab.
“His view was that it stopped a promising attack. It wasn’t violent behavior – he didn’t grab his hair or his throat.”
‘Jones studied the incident and did not flinch’
Dermot Gallagher on Rob Jones’ decision not to send David Brooks:
“I think Brooks grabs Cucurella by the top of his shirt. In doing so, he shows the shirt coming off. I wonder if that gives VAR the impression that he grabbed him by the hair.
“It’s all about whether he grabbed him by the top of his shirt or by the neck? The referee looked and looked. Rob Jones didn’t jerk his knee and give him a red card. He studied it.”
‘Brooks could have broken Cucurella’s jaw’
Sky Sports’ Paul Merson on the Brooks-Cucurella incident:
“He could have easily broken his jaw, it was dangerous. If a player is in danger, I thought it was red. I don’t see anything but [a red].
“He went and watched it himself, I don’t see how he didn’t give the red. I was amazed. As far as I’m concerned, they dodged a bullet there at Bournemouth.”
Did Cucurella provoke Brooks?
INCIDENT: Marc Cucurella collided with David Brooks in a ball incident during the first half, which left the Bournemouth forward on the deck.
DERMOT SAYS: “Cucurella was very sweet to do it behind Rob Jones. The assistant could have looked offside because the ball went through. Cucurella saw his chance and blocked Brooks. If the referee sees that, he gets a yellow card.
“It was a long time later [the second incident]. It was also half time. A lot happened between that incident and the 53rd minute.”
‘It’s a clumsy move – an easy decision’
INCIDENT: Bournemouth were awarded a penalty when Moises Caicedo brought down Antoine Semeny.
DERMOT SAYS: It’s a clumsy tackle, he doesn’t get the ball, referee [Robert Jones] is in perfect position – it’s easy to give it if you have the right look as he moves his leg and the ball is a trail, it doesn’t move.
‘VAR can’t get involved in Arsenal’s corner – it’s not in his jurisdiction’
INCIDENT: Arsenal were awarded a corner despite the ball appearing to go outside their winger Leandro Trossard. Gabriel then scores the winner against Tottenham in set-up – but why VAR [Peter Bankes] not opt in?
DERMOT SAYS: “This is a real shame because it’s about the consequences. Judge [Simon Hooper] he makes a decision from where he is, he doesn’t see the ball hitting Trossard, which it definitely is, he gets the last touch, it should be a goal kick.
“Koner comes over, if he gets kicked out of the game, we don’t talk about it, but it goes into the net and all of a sudden the consequences are bigger.
“VAR can’t award anything but red cards, penalties, goals, mistaken identities – they can’t do restarts, so it’s out of their remit at the moment. Whether that’s going to happen in the years to come, I don’t know.
“As far as Simon Hooper is concerned, he may have felt that when it hit Trossard he was actually off the field, but he wasn’t. There’s no doubt about that, that’s a factual decision.”
‘The most frustrating rule in football’
INCIDENT: Wolves’ Santiago Bueno scores in the corner but is ruled out by VAR for handball.
DERMOT SAYS: “This is the most frustrating rule in football for neutral fans. The law is that if the ball hits the scorer’s hand, it’s not allowed. The referee didn’t see it.”
Should Everton have been penalized in the defeat to Villa?
INCIDENT: Everton were not awarded a penalty after Dominic Calvert-Lewin was tackled to the ground by Youri Tielemans.
DERMOT SAYS: It’s interesting. Is it a foul? Does it hold? Is another player fouled? If the judge [Samuel Barrott] if he had awarded a penalty, I think it would have been overturned due to a foul on the goalkeeper. He is blocked as the ball comes, he [Abdoulaye Doucoure] back straight to him.
‘The judge was very composed’
INCIDENT: Trent Alexander-Arnold kicks the ball and it appears to catch Elliot Anderson. The incident was dismissed.
DERMOT SAYS: He didn’t catch it much and the referee handled it well. The Forest players did not cause a problem and that helped the referee. The judge was very composed.
