Man City 3 Leeds United 2: Lee Sobot's Video Verdict
Leeds United have a right to feel aggrieved following one important error during Sunday's defeat at the Etihad.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has ‘no doubt’ Phil Foden should have been flagged for offside moments before Manchester City’s second goal against Leeds United on Saturday.
Leeds found themselves 2-0 down at the Etihad inside 25 minutes after Josko Gvardiol poked home from a corner, following Foden’s early opener. There was a lengthy VAR review to check if the offside Bernardo Silva had impeded goalkeeper Lucas Perri but the initial decision of goal was not overturned.
The build-up to that crucial moment was where Leeds fans spotted a potential error, however, when Foden swung in a corner that was headed back in his direction by Gvardiol. Replays showed the midfielder was comfortably offside when receiving the ball, eventually firing a shot off that Perri tipped out for the corner that led to City’s second.
“I think it’s really interesting,” Gallagher told Sky Sports’ Ref Watch. “If you watch, when the corner is taken by Foden the assistant is forced to move upfield. If you watch it, he moves up to go level with the last defender and Foden is on his right-hand side, he doesn't see him.
“When Gvardiol heads the ball first time, it goes back to Foden, who is in an offside position. He takes the ball, gets struck and goes for a corner. Because it doesn't go in the net, VAR can’t intervene. He’s just lost him because he’s taken his position with the defender.
“He’s looking right across the line for an offside, Gvardiol heads the ball, Foden is offside there’s no doubt about it. VAR couldn’t get involved because it didn’t go as a goal. It can only deal with the situations that’s in the protocol.”
Ex-referee’s verdict on Gianluigi Donnarumma injury incident
That goal sent City in 2-0 up at half-time and it could have been far worse for Leeds, but a change in formation and personnel flipped momentum on its head. Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored before winning a penalty, the rebound of which Lukas Nmecha scored from to make it 2-2 on 68 minutes.
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Daniel Farke was left fuming on the touchline and after full-time, called for a change in the laws to prevent what he called a ‘fake injury’. Former referee Gallagher gave his verdict on the controversial incident with an example of why there was little referee Peter Bankes could do.
“[The referee was] Hamstrung,” he said. “Paul Durkin, a great referee in his time, had something like this at Borussia Dortmund once and he waved the guy up. I said ‘that’s great until you go across and there’s something wrong with him. You're not a physio, you're not a doctor, just leave it to the experts’.
“There’s nothing a referee can do because if the ‘keeper goes down you’ve got to stop the game. How do you prove he’s not injured?”
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