Sky pundits cite Liverpool incident in highlighting baffling inconsistency of EPL refereeing
Two Sky Sports pundits cited an incident from Liverpool’s win over Crystal Palace on Saturday to highlight the baffling inconsistency which abounds among Premier League referees. Following an interminable VAR review, Jarell Quansah had a penalty given against him when he was deemed to have caught Jean-Philippe Mateta in the box. Play had initially continued […]
The post Sky pundits cite Liverpool incident in highlighting baffling inconsistency of EPL refereeing appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.
Two Sky Sports pundits cited an incident from Liverpool’s win over Crystal Palace on Saturday to highlight the baffling inconsistency which abounds among Premier League referees.
Following an interminable VAR review, Jarell Quansah had a penalty given against him when he was deemed to have caught Jean-Philippe Mateta in the box. Play had initially continued before Andy Madley changed his decision upon consulting the pitchside monitor.
Later that day, Douglas Luiz made contact with Gabriel Jesus in a not wholly dissimilar incident in Aston Villa’s 1-0 defeat of Arsenal, but no penalty was awarded by on-field referee Jarred Gillet or VAR Michael Salisbury.
Speaking on Sky Sports‘ Ref Watch as they compared the two incidents, Stephen Warnock said of the Liverpool one: “Right and wrong comes into it. Clear and obvious doesn’t. It’s exactly the same as the Aston Villa one [Luiz on Jesus] where you look at it and go ‘he’s kicked through’.
“The Aston Villa one is more of a penalty than this one… we’re after consistency.”
Sue Smith then added: “If you give one, you have to give both of them.”
Firstly, the decision to award Palace a penalty for a foul by Quansah was correct, although it was galling to see it called back after nearly two minutes of play.
Remember how the VAR for Liverpool’s defeat at Tottenham a few weeks ago said they couldn’t go back and award Luis Diaz the goal he should’ve had for an incorrect offside decision because 30 seconds was deemed too long of a gap for which to intervene? The process is simply abominable at times.
Also, both Warnock and Smith were right to state that if the Reds defender’s challenge on Mateta was a foul, then Luiz’s on Jesus should also have been given. Indeed, the Aston Villa one looked the clearer of the two offences, notwithstanding that Arsenal’s defeat was beneficial to LFC in the title race.
It yet again serves to highlight a horrendous degree of inconsistency between referees at Premier League level, further eroding whatever trust might still remain from the public in England’s foremost officials to do their jobs without controversy erupting.
Anfield Annals: Matt McQueen the Anfield All-Rounder who did everything in 36 years as a Red
The post Sky pundits cite Liverpool incident in highlighting baffling inconsistency of EPL refereeing appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.