rewrite this title Match Officials Mic’d Up: PGMOL’s Howard Webb discusses Moises Caicedo potential red-card challenge on Spurs’ Pape Sarr

PGMOL chief Howard Webb believes it was right for Moises Caicedo to avoid a red card against Tottenham during Chelsea’s 4-3 victory on Sunday.

The Chelsea midfielder faced no disciplinary action for his first-half lunging challenge on Spurs’ Pape Matar Sarr after the collision was checked by VAR.

WHAT THE OFFICIALS SAID:

Assistant Referee 1: “Give a free-kick, give a free-kick. I don’t think it’s full stand-on-foot, I think it’s partial, I don’t think it’s full.”

VAR: “Comes into the tackle. Catches him at a glancing blow and then down onto the floor. I don’t think there’s any evidence for serious foul play. I don’t think he goes through him with excessive force.”

HOWARD WEBB’S VERDICT:

“A yellow card should have been shown, in the end Caicedo received no disciplinary action for that action. I think he’s actions were reckless. For me it’s not a red card. For me this is a situation where Caicedo goes to swing to kick a ball which is kicked away from him by Pape Sarr.

“That swinging action continues into the leg of Sarr. It comes off really quickly, slow motion can sometimes distort reality. For me that’s reckless, not serious foul play because it’s not excessive force, it doesn’t endanger the safety of Pape Sarr.

“At full speed there’s no real energy coming through his foot into the shin. It comes off really quickly so there’s not an exertion of force through into an opponent’s leg which would do the damage. It hits his leg and comes off quickly. For me, it should be a yellow card for a reckless action.”

Should Brentford have won appeal for Norgaard challenge?

Incident: Christian Norgaard was sent off during Brentford’s 0-0 draw at Everton following a challenge on Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford while attempting to score in the six-yard box. Following a successful appeal from Brentford, Norgaard avoided a three-match ban.

WHAT THE OFFICIALS SAID:

Assistant Referee 1: “Give a defensive free-kick, Norgaard catches Pickford.”

Referee: “Yeah, he’s just gone to play the ball.”

VAR: “Delay, delay, Kav [Chris Kavanagh]. Delay, delay. I’m gonna recommend an on-field review for serious foul play.”

Referee: “Leg clearly high, straightens the leg rather than bends it. Contact on the knee, serious foul play, red card.”

WEBB’S VERDICT:

“I was surprised by the outcome of the appeal. Of course I respect the judgement of the panel but I would have expected them to see this the way I did, as an act of serious foul play when the studs go into the knee of Jordan Pickford and endangers his safety. I didn’t agree with their judgement.

“I don’t think Norgaard has gone in there to try to hurt Jordan Pickford in any way, he’s gone to try and get onto the end of the ball. But to do that, stretch out with a raised foot, with studs exposed when there’s an opponent in front of him. We [referees] have to deal with consequences. We have have to determine whether or not the actions have endangered an opponent’s safety.

“When Norgaard does do that, he’s obviously hoping to get the ball but there’s a risk associated with it. There’s quite a lot of force going into a vulnerable part of the body, there’s a risk he inherits when he lunges in that way. When he fails to make contact with the ball and makes contact with Pickford in this way the consequences are Pickford’s safety is endangered, therefore it’s an act of serious foul play. I do sympathise with him but we’re here to protect player safety.”

Why Stephens’ Cucurella hair pull was deemed violent conduct?

Incident: Jack Stephens was shown a red card following a VAR check after tugging Marc Cucurella’s hair in the box.

WHAT THE OFFICIALS SAID:

Assistant Referee 1: “I don’t know what’s gone off there.”

Referee: “I’m not sure there’s any contact at all. Jack Stephens kind of flicks out a little hand, but I’m not sure there’s any contact.”

VAR: “Delay, delay, delay Tony [Harrington] checking possible violent conduct. It’s a clear hair pull.”

Referee: “It’s a pulling of the hair, red card Jack Stephens.”

WEBB’S VERDICT:

“The laws of the game don’t go into hair pulling but it does say that contact to the head or the face that’s more than negligible is violent conduct.

“In terms of hair pulling there’s an accepted position that if you tug someone’s hair, you get sent off. It just crosses that line of acceptable behaviour on the field of play.

“If you pull someone’s hair there’s no reason to do that. I can’t imagine that Jack Stephens will make that mistake again.”