Ref Watch

[BringBackSwales]

Totally agree, we got one brief showing it and certainly did look handball, not touching his chest beforehand. The ref made such a strong and immediate case for it not to be a pen, it was never going to be overruled by VAR.

How come anything positive for us gets reviewed to fuck, more lines than the London Underground, yet when something might be in our favour, such as handball or foul in the area, not even a reply. Premier league and UEFA are as bent as each other. How anyone can think that **** had a good game is beyond me. He did what he needed to, which included letting Chelsea get away with a lot that were given as free kicks when we fid the same, and allowing chelsea to time waste to fuck. I imagine Mendy is still lying on the ground now. The handball (or not) and the sending off of Rudiger (or not) were the two big decisions, absolutely clear which way both would go with this ref. As for uefa screwing English clubS over, which other than us does this apply to?

 

[MillionMilesAway]

The ref was idiosyncratic, but fine. Could have been a couple more cards, but it wouldn't have changed much.

Azpilicueta's playacting was so obvious even BT noted he immediately sprinted back to position. Fair enough if the ref thought it was a serious issue, but it was clearly just a sore clash. Jorginho was also called out by BT for overreacting.

The long shot of the 'handball' looked as if it hit the chest first to me. It's only an offence if the view is that he was making his body bigger - it looked to me that it hit his upper arm off his chest, and that the arm was in a reasonable position. Seemed okay to me.

Chelsea obviously cottoned on that a touch and a fall brought a freekick (just as against Leicester in the league), and they played to that. Keep the ball, invite a challenge, fall over. I think a lot of the irritation from Mahrez was that Chelsea hands were pulling at him all the time.

Rudiger's block on de Bruyne is an awkward one. At first sight it looked like a sort of whiplash injury, a yellow was probably right for that. The later pictures of the shiner strongly suggest shoulder-to-head - I've no idea where that falls in football nowadays - hitting someone accidentally with an arm when jumping for the ball would be yellow usually, but in rugby you'd be sent off immediately. I don't think Rudiger intended to contact the head.

 

[homerdog]

The way the City players reacted tells you it was handball, they all appealed immediately. VAR was never going to overrule the referee after he made such a show of it not being handball, which I guess is why we didn't see a decent replay.

He also fell for Chelsea's cynical antics, so in my opinion that makes it a poor and weak performance.

 

[Chris in London]

Reading on here that the ref had a great game. Stood behind the goal it felt very different-

Looked like a very clear handball from James. Didn’t show a replay in the ground, but first instinct was he controlled it with his forearm

It looked very much like Rudiger deliberately took KDB out, again only saw it in real time, no replay in the ground, but it was surely either accidental and no card, or deliberate and a red card?

Chelsea constantly time wasting and no yellow cards or enforcement from the ref, I thought Mendy was in danger of falling asleep the amount of time he spent lying on the ground

Seemed to give them the majority of the free kicks

It was plainly deliberate. It left KDB with a huge black eye from rudiger shouldering his face, needing to be substituted and with suspected concussion. It was plainly dangerous and should have been a red.

 

[Chris in London]

The ref was idiosyncratic, but fine... I don't think Rudiger intended to contact the head.

That’s a bit like saying Mane didn’t intend to cut Eddie’s face open

 

[Gundog’s Gundog]

The guy was a fucking numpty but there’s a mardarse culture in the game now - why the fuck did he stop the game when Azpil feigned an injury to his knee ? So what if you’ve hurt your fucking knee it’s a man’s game, a contact sport for highly trained athletes - play on.

 

[mosssideblue]

How come anything positive for us gets reviewed to fuck, more lines than the London Underground, yet when something might be in our favour, such as handball or foul in the area, not even a reply. Premier league and UEFA are as bent as each other. How anyone can think that **** had a good game is beyond me. He did what he needed to, which included letting Chelsea get away with a lot that were given as free kicks when we fid the same, and allowing chelsea to time waste to fuck. I imagine Mendy is still lying on the ground now. The handball (or not) and the sending off of Rudiger (or not) were the two big decisions, absolutely clear which way both would go with this ref. As for uefa screwing English clubS over, which other than us does this apply to?

Agree with all of that

 

[decmancity]

I particularly enjoyed all the Spanish refs having a laugh and joke with that dickhead azpilicueta at the end.

James could have picked that ball up and kicked it away and we never would have got the pen.

 

[Bantamgaz]

The guy was a fucking numpty but there’s a mardarse culture in the game now - why the fuck did he stop the game when Azpil feigned an injury to his knee ? So what if you’ve hurt your fucking knee it’s a man’s game, a contact sport for highly trained athletes - play on.

It’s the way he went down that probably alerted him ........ if players are gonna fake serious injuries then just book them

 

[Mr HJ]

The guy was a fucking numpty but there’s a mardarse culture in the game now - why the fuck did he stop the game when Azpil feigned an injury to his knee ? So what if you’ve hurt your fucking knee it’s a man’s game, a contact sport for highly trained athletes - play on.

Yep - I said before the game several Chelsea players always scream out loud when they are tackled and this ref fell for it all. Worse was Jorginho screaming for a foul and immediately jumping up and sprinting towards the ref.

His performance didn't really cost us the game but it was clear as day by his high-fiving the Chelsea players at the end that he dislikes Pep and was quietly pleased with the result. We lost but I would rather that than follow players that feign serious injury to get fellow pros in trouble.For balance I've said the same when Cancelo did it recently and when Raheem falls over when someone brushes against his back. Re-reading my post, I'll sum it up thus - the ref was a twat.

 

[Gundog’s Gundog]

It’s the way he went down that probably alerted him ........ if players are gonna fake serious injuries then just book them

Or put em in a locked sin bin with Tony Coton or Andy Morrison for 5 mins

 

[Gundog’s Gundog]

Yep - I said before the game several Chelsea players always scream out loud when they are tackled and this ref fell for it all. Worse was Jorginho screaming for a foul and immediately jumping up and sprinting towards the ref.

His performance didn't really cost us the game but it was clear as day by his high-fiving the Chelsea players at the end that he dislikes Pep and was quietly pleased with the result. We lost but I would rather that than follow players that feign serious injury to get fellow pros in trouble.For balance I've said the same when Cancelo did it recently and when Raheem falls over when someone brushes against his back. Re-reading my post, I'll sum it up thus - the ref was a twat.

Agree except for the part about rather lose than cheat. Corinthian spirit was all well and good in a different world but not nowadays. If you can’t beat em join em - we need to seriously upgrade our dark arts skill set.

 

[Hayley Croppers chopper]

Chillwell was pissing me off with his falling over antics. Twice he got free kicks when he was clearly untouched. Sterling hits the deck and the ball hits his arm whilst on the ground and it’s a free kick to Chelsea.

 

[Mr HJ]

Agree except for the part about rather lose than cheat. Corinthian spirit was all well and good in a different world but not nowadays. If you can’t beat em join em - we need to seriously upgrade our dark arts skill set.

I get that, and do love Ferna's breaking up play with timely fouls as it is definitely a skill but screaming out loud when lightly touched and rolling about is something I don't like to support. Mind you if we sign Grealish I will be right behind him getting free kick after free kick within shooting distance!

 

[Bantamgaz]

Chillwell was pissing me off with his falling over antics. Twice he got free kicks when he was clearly untouched. Sterling hits the deck and the ball hits his arm whilst on the ground and it’s a free kick to Chelsea.

Think Walker pulled him up on of them :( sadly that’s the way the game is nowadays

 

[BringBackSwales]

I get that, and do love Ferna's breaking up play with timely fouls as it is definitely a skill but screaming out loud when lightly touched and rolling about is something I don't like to support. Mind you if we sign Grealish I will be right behind him getting free kick after free kick within shooting distance!

You really think if Grealish played for us he’d get all those fouls?

 

[Scooby]

I thought the ref had a decent game. It wasn't handball, it hit his chest then the top of his arm. it wasn't a red card for Rudiger, yellow was correct. None of the refs decisions influenced the outcome of the game which was my concern before the game. As for the play acting, it's part of the game now, the time wasting is exactly what we would have been doing if we were winning 1-0 with 10 mins to go.

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

So when the handball rule change it's ok to knock the ball onto your arm/hand ?
If his arm is down by his ok but his arm was out

the only time it's an offence is if the ball comes off your body and hits your arm which is in a position which makes the body unnaturally bigger. Not an offence if your arm is by your side.

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

Not too annoyed about the possible penalty (it wasn't IMO) or the possible red card (difficult to know Rudiger's intent, IMO he knew what he was doing and took out KDB with a shoulder to the head, but it would've been a very harsh red)

What I am annoyed about is that ALL the 50-50 decisions seemed to come down on Chelsea's side.

Was it a foul or just a coming together? If it was a Chelsea player who hit the deck, it was a foul; if it was a City player who did likewise, it was a coming together and play on. He made his mind up on these decisions VERY quickly as well.

Broke the game up too much for my liking.

 

[There is a Light]

One positive to take from last night.

I’m reading he was “in total control of the game” from some people online. Is that how everyone else saw it because he was annoying the fuck out of me? I didn’t watch any analysis but he seemed to make quick decisions and of course it was all about him as it usually is when we have the misfortune to cross paths with him.