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Interesting one. Maybe Anderson has managed to trick me too, but the reason I think it’s a pen is that it’s hard to simulate the dragging of the leg out to the right in sync with with the hand/arm of Mitoma. Usually if a player is looking for contact they’ll plant their foot into the defender...

I thought this was a pen - a soft one but a pen. I don’t see Anderson initiating the contact, I think Mitoma’s elbow has swept Anderson’s right foot with it as he’s slid across the floor. Surprised to see it overturned.

Clearly not a red card - no excessive force, low degree of danger, and you don’t add the yellows for reckless + SPA.

The tackle by Estupiñan on Kilman is out of control, two-footed, with excessive force, studs up, and makes connection directly with the shin - struggling to find any possible reason for VAR not to intervene?!

Also is “fleeting” even a consideration when the attacking player is in possession of the ball? Feels like this guidance should only be for holding in the area when a cross is coming in, not for when a player is running with the ball. Most pull-backs are fleeting but they’re still fouls, and...

Agree this is a pen, and not “fleeting” since it has an immediate impact on the attacking player. Question on the VAR protocol - if the VAR believes that the pull is a clear and obvious offence, but also that the tug of the shirt by Rogers on Anderson just before is a possible foul (but not...

Definitely a backpass - agree on Martínez too, especially given that he didn’t even start on his line.

Agreed - given that distance from goal is a mitigating factor I can’t see how that can be anything other than ref’s call

I respect the opinions of those who are fine with YC here, but I think occasionally there’s an offence so unusual it’s not captured in refs’ muscle memory, even at the top level. The muscle memory is saying YC here - the ball is in play, Joelinton is slowing the game down, and as a ref you’d...

Also worth mentioning that the reason this is a red in rugby is the need to protect the neck, which houses the spinal cord and is particularly vulnerable to serious injury. Obviously a much bigger issue in rugby because tackles in football are very rarely targeted at the neck, but important to...

Wouldn’t a pulling offence need to be a motion of the arm back towards the offender? Joelinton’s was a movement away from his body (with a strong arm and around the neck).

Probably not - but I think this just means the referee *may* caution, rather than *must* caution. As with anything, the ref can always caution at any time if they think USB has occurred. So up to the ref on the day (they don’t *have* to caution until the goal is scored), and I think we’re on the...

I think a goal disallowed is different to a goal not scored? There's a window of opportunity between the ball crossing the line and an offence being identified that the player has to get themselves cautioned.

I think that's the key - if the ball stops on the line in the mud, there's no offense. So I'd be going with goal + YC.

I can’t think of an interpretation in which that’s not stopping a promising attack

I admit I don’t know - but if we don’t interpret it like that, implication is that a player can stand next to the keeper on the goalline and not be interfering even if the keeper dives right into him!

“Making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of the opponent to play the ball” - does being in the way of a keeper’s dive fall under that bit? I don’t think the keeper should have to dive into the player to get the decision.

Offside for me

Agree on the law, but which footballing action - could you elaborate? To me it looked like the wall had broken, the ball was travelling through the gap, and his hand instinctively moved down towards the ball to stop it. The three in the wall all jump and Grealish is the only one of them with...

I thought that was handball - hand moves towards the ball and it’s away from his body. Hard to argue C&O if everyone’s split on it though.