Ref Watch: Battle of the Bridge

Dermot Gallagher believes at least one player should have been sent off as Tottenham’s title hopes slipped away at Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team set a new Premier League record as they had nine players cautioned by referee Mark Clattenburg in the fractious 2-2 draw on Monday Night Football.

Gallagher, a top-flight referee for 15 years, says Eric Dier should have been dismissed for his lunge on Cesc Fabregas late in the game, but feels others – including an apparent eye-gouge by Mousa Dembele on Diego Costa – could be subjects of retrospective punishments in the days ahead.

Gallagher said: “There should certainly have been one (red card) and Dier, for me, is the one that stands out. Other incidents I would refer to the FA. It would be up to them to look at the incidents subsequently.”

Tottenham are already due to be fined £25,000 for receiving six bookings or more in a single match and further ramifications are expected following the match.

Gallagher joined Rob Wotton and Rachel Wyse on Sky Sports Now for a Ref Watch special to go through all the contentious incidents from Stamford Bridge…

INCIDENT: Cesc Fabregas appears to kick out at Mousa Dembele

SCENARIO: Chelsea are attacking and Fabregas plays a one-two with Diego Costa. After receiving the return pass, Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld intercepts and clears, with Fabregas falling to the ground. He becomes trapped under Dembele, who steps over him and runs upfield. Fabregas flicks out his right foot and aims a kick at Dembele but does not make contact and no action is taken.

GALLAGHER SAYS: “It’s a petty thing that Mark didn’t see. I think it’s interesting – when you look back on this game, I don’t think any Premier League referee will have a tougher match in the next 24 years. I think that’s the toughest game I’ve seen in the last 24 for a referee. It was a tough, tough test. The referee realised the stakes, the emotions and everything. I think he’s tried to referee the occasion, stand back and let the players play the game. He’s at the behest of the players and they didn’t buy in to what he wanted to do and that’s why he had to come in really tough at the end. To come out with 12 yellow cards at the end of the match is really extraordinary.”

INCIDENT: Kyle Walker appears to kick out at Pedro

SCENARIO: Tottenham are attacking and Pedro manages to get himself between Walker and the ball. With the players positioned a few yards up the touchline from the goal line, the former Barcelona player tries to shield the ball out for a goal kick but is bundled over by Walker before it gets that far. The assistant referee flags for a free kick to Chelsea and it is awarded, with Walker then kicking Pedro’s right ankle in frustration before turning and retreating back downfield.

GALLAGHER SAYS: “This is the same as before. It’s a show of such petulance. You look back at when David Beckham was sent off for a petulant kick at Diego Simeone and everybody said: ‘Was it worth that?’ I think on this occasion, the referee has tried to reason with the players and asked them to calm down. What he didn’t want to do was go too heavy and end up with three or four yellow cards early, then end up having two red cards before half-time where we’re saying it’s a big showpiece game and the referee has ruined it because we’re now playing without 11 against 11.”

INCIDENT: Diego Costa clashes with Jan Vertonghen

SCENARIO: Costa receives a pass from midfield on the halfway line as Chelsea attack and quickly has Vertonghen challenging behind him, using his arms for leverage and grabbing the striker on his left arm and right shoulder. Costa played a pass out wide looking for Willian which deflects away for a Chelsea throw, then the Spaniard immediately reacts to Vertonghen by pushing his arm into him, motioning his head towards his opponent then protesting to the referee that his shirt was being pulled.

GALLAGHER SAYS: “Again, he (Clattenburg) has tried to deal with it. He’s seen the shirt pull and could easily have given both players a yellow card for the pulling back or the reaction but we …

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