Ref Watch: Premier League weekend decisions analysed

Per Mertesacker was sent off after this foul on Diego Costa

Ref Watch is back to debate another batch of controversial decisions from the weekend's football.

In a bumper edition, former top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher joined Rob Wotton in the Sky Sports News HQ studio to go through a number of contentious calls in the Premier League at the weekend.
From controversial red cards, penalty shouts, off-the-ball incidents and a dramatic five minutes of extra time at Carrow Road, we have picked out nine incidents reviewed during Monday's Ref Watch.

Was your team affected by a contentious decision? Read on to find out...

MATCH: Arsenal v Chelsea, Sunday

INCIDENT: Per Mertesacker is sent off after he was adjudged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity by referee Mark Clattenburg after bringing down Chelsea striker Diego Costa.

Per Mertesacker fouls Diego Costa during Arsenal's clash with Chelsea

SCENARIO: Willian plays a pass through which evades all of Arsenal's defence and leaves Costa set for a clear run at goal before Mertesacker mistimes his challenge.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "I think so. It's a foul and he knows what he's doing. I think his problem is [Mertesacker] doesn't believe he can get there himself - he turns around. Well, I think he knows he's taken that chance. It would be difficult for Costa to stop on his feet. It is a foul, there's no doubt about that, and under the guidelines it is a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity."

MATCH: Arsenal v Chelsea, Sunday

INCIDENT: Cesc Fabregas is challenged by Laurent Koscielny in the area and Clattenburg waves away his appeal for a penalty.

Cesc Fabregas is challenged by Laurent Koscielny in the penalty area

SCENARIO: Fabregas makes a run into the penalty area and goes past two defenders before Koscielny bumps into the Chelsea midfielder.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Wrong decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "He just doesn't think it's a foul. I think it's wrong. [Clattenburg is perfectly positioned] and that's why I was surprised. I think it's a foul, he has made no attempt to play the ball, he's gone into the man. He has seen it at a different angle, in a different way to I have. I think when he sees that now he will think he should have given it."

MATCH: Norwich v Liverpool, Saturday

INCIDENT: Norwich have a penalty appeal turned down after Steven Naismith goes down inside the box.

James Milner makes contact with Norwich forward Steven Naismith

SCENARIO: James Milner runs alongside Steven Naismith and the Liverpool midfielder shoves the Norwich player in the area and sends him to the floor, no penalty is given and play carries on.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "I can understand why the referee didn't give that. I think both of them were running. That is a lot of straight body contact. I don't think he has shoved him over. He hasn't played the ball but I can show you lots of incidents where players don't play the ball and we don't give penalties. It's a physical game - we talk about body strength. for me that's not a penalty."

MATCH: Norwich v Liverpool, Saturday

INCIDENT: Sebastien Bassong pulls Roberto Firmino's shirt, initially inside the area.

Sebastien Bassong pulls Roberto Firmino outside the box in this photo, but initial contact started inside the box

SCENARIO: Bassong initially makes contact with Firmino's shirt inside the area, grabbing it as he runs, but Firmino then goes back outside the area as he continues to be fouled, before a free-kick is awarded to Liverpool by Lee Mason.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Wrong decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "The referee gave a foul. The key thing is - from his angle he can't tell where it is. It's really the assistant that [should] call it. He goes inside the area and then outside the penalty area. When you see it sideways on, as the assistant looks across a Norwich player goes across him and by the time he's cleared him he's outside of the area. Once he's given a foul it should have been a penalty. I can understand, though, why it wasn't given."

MATCH: Norwich v Liverpool, Saturday

INCIDENT: Jurgen Klopp approaches the fourth official furiously after the referee awards five minutes of added time.

Jurgen Klopp speaks to fourth official Kevin Friend

SCENARIO: Klopp fumes at the decision to give five additional minutes and speaks to the fourth official. Norwich score an equaliser two minutes into added time, before Liverpool score the winner. The referee feels the two goals warranted an additional 32 seconds of time.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "Klopp asked Kevin Friend [the fourth official] about the extra time and he notes the incident. [Klopp] accepts that but when it goes to 4-4 after two minutes it then becomes a problem. Of course, the result changes it and he's happy. It is an incident where you don't want the result to change [from what it was before stoppage time]. Extra-time is always a minimum so it will always be more, but this is an emotional subject as to what referees decide to add on."

MATCH: West Ham v Manchester City, Saturday

INCIDENT: Manchester City's Martin Demichelis slide-tackles West Ham's Michail Antonio just outside the penalty area.

West Ham winger Michail Antonio is challenged by Martin Demichelis

SCENARIO: Antonio controls the ball before flying towards the edge of the City box. His run is brought to a premature end by a sliding challenge from Demichelis, which halts the run of the winger. The referee also gives the City defender a yellow card, rather than a red

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "The difference is [compared to Mertesacker's red card] is one [goalscoring opportunity] is obvious and one is probable. The key word is obvious. I thought the defender for Manchester City coming across tracking gives enough doubt that he may intercept. He has a chance to get there. For me, that is a possible rather than an obvious."
MATCH: Sunderland v Bournemouth, Sunday

INCIDENT: Sunderland's Billy Jones fouls Junior Stanislas. Referee Roger East awards a yellow card.

Billy Jones put a strong challenge in on Junior Stanislas

SCENARIO: Jones goes in with a challenge on Stanislas which leaves the Bournemouth player injured. Jones is punished but not with a red card.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Wrong decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "It is what it is, but I think this is a red card for me every day of the week. I was watching this live on Saturday and the minute it happened I thought, 'He will go for this', and when he didn't I thought, 'You were a very fortunate person'."
INCIDENT: Connor Wickham strikes Jan Vertonghen in the face.

Connor Wickham was charged by the FA for an incident with Jan Vertonghen

SCENARIO: Wickham appears to elbow Vertonghen in the penalty area as the two players are running towards the six-yard box in the 75th minute of the match. Referee Martin Atkinson apparently did not see the incident.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Wrong decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "I think he may well see red later today [Wickham has since been charged with violent conduct]. When you take a chance like this I can't see any reason why the FA won't look at that and ask the panel to sit and I am pretty convinced the panel will see he is guilty of violent conduct. If the referee sees it, which he didn't, he can give the first foul for the grappling [by Vertonghen], give a penalty and still send-off Connor Wickham for violent conduct."

MATCH: Southampton v Manchester United, Saturday.

INCIDENT: Referee Mike Jones does not appear to spot off-the-ball tussling between Chris Smalling and Virgil van Dijk.

Virgil van Dijk has his shirt pulled by Chris Smalling

SCENARIO: Van Dijk is trying to move away from his marker Smalling, who is grappling with the Southampton defender in the area, in the process obstructing him from getting to the ball.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Wrong decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "I feel a little bit for the referee here. That is difficult to see. That isn't automatically one he would pick up. [A similar Smalling incident] against Newcastle did get picked and it was in front of the referee. If referees pick up a lot more of these and identify them it may deter players from doing it."

MATCH: Everton v Swansea, Sunday

INCIDENT: Referee Anthony Taylor awards a penalty after Tim Howard is adjudged to have fouled Andre Ayew in the area.

Tim Howard took out Andre Ayew to hand Swansea a penalty

SCENARIO: Ayew tries to run past Howard in the penalty area and pokes the ball past him and the Everton goalkeeper connects with the Swansea striker.

GALLAGHER'S VIEW: Correct decision.

GALLAGHER SAYS: "It is a good spot, because Howard didn't play the ball there. The movement of the ball is the clue. The fact that the ball has moved forward means Ayew's played the ball and Tim Howard has played Ayew. Correct decision."