For the second time in three weeks the wrong player was sent off in a Premier League match, leading Tony Pulis to renew calls for the greater use of technology after Gareth McAuley was mistakenly dismissed in West Brom’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. The visitors’ manager said the time had come for each side to be able to challenge two decisions per match.
Craig Dawson fouled the home side’s Wilfried Bony two minutes into the game but Neil Swarbrick showed the red card to his team-mate. McAuley became involved only after the whistle had gone and the dismissal was for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
At the end of February Sunderland’s Wes Brown received a red card due to John O’Shea at Manchester United and a year ago Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs was sent off for a handball by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at Chelsea. The latest incident came on the same day as a red-card mix-up in the Championship as Fulham’s Cauley Woodrow was sent off against Huddersfield, only for the referee, Richard Clark, to change his mind. Shaun Hutchinson was eventually dismissed amid chaotic scenes at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Swarbrick quickly apologised for his error at the Etihad Stadium, via a statement from Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, but Pulis believes greater assistance is needed to avoid such critical mistakes.
“Refereeing is not easy, especially at the level we are at now and how quick the game is,” the West Brom manager said. “This product is one of the greatest products this country now sells all over the world, but it is no good moaning about referees. What we have to do is find a way to help referees out.
“I would definitely call now for managers to have two calls each and every game, where there are 30 seconds and they can have a video link-up with people upstairs who can watch it on video. It will eradicate the major decisions referees are getting wrong that actually affect games of football. We have to work hard to do that in what is the greatest league in the world. The sooner that comes in the better.”
It was a better end to a difficult week for Manuel Pellegrini. With more than 88 minutes to play against 10 men, his City side took full advantage, cruising to a comfortable victory that cut Chelsea’s advantage at the top to three points. The leaders, who have two games in hand on their closest rivals, visit Hullon Sunday.
