'Panic' - Every word from ref watch as Leeds United red card, penalty and Brennan Johnson fouls analysed
A full breakdown of five key incidents during Leeds United’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.
Leeds United’s 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace was at the forefront of Monday’s Ref Watch with several controversial decisions analysed.
The Whites were awarded a first-half added-time penalty, which Dominic Calvert-Lewin missed minutes before teammate Gabriel Gudmundsson was shown a second yellow card. Referee Thomas Bramall had seemingly forgotten the initial booking while Palace players also wanted Jaka Bijol dismissed for a second offence but he stayed on.
In the second-half, Palace wing-back Brennan Johnson committed a number of fouls but escaped a second yellow card, while Jefferson Lerma had the ball in the back of the net but it was ruled out for offside. Below is every word former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher and pundit Jay Bothroyd had to say on the incidents.
Gabriel Gudmundsson red card
DG: “Whether he had forgotten or not, he did get the right outcome. His colleagues have supported him. It is quite comical, if you watch the whole incident the Leeds No.14 [Nmecha] actually says to Gudmundsson he might want to go away. But he gives him a yellow card, he’s already had one 20 minutes earlier. It’s a red card. Between them, they’ve got it right.”
JB: "I genuinely don't think that second one was a yellow card offence. I think Gudmundsson was right to plead his case. If he knew he was on a yellow, I don't think he would have given him another one."
Jaka Bijol red card claims
DG: “I think foul, but just a foul itself. You have to be careful here because it is a foul, there’s no doubt about that, and Sarr ends up with some blood on his mouth. But where the referee has done really well is he hasn’t been seduced by the blood, he’s just judged the foul on its merit. He catches him with a flailing arm but it's not a second yellow.”
JB: “I think that’s an unfortunate situation because when you see where the ball is coming from, Sarr runs over it and the defender can’t see where the ball is coming. Obviously it’s curled into both of them but he hasn’t nudged his shoulder forward or anything like that so, again, it's a foul but I’m really getting tired of players saying it must be a yellow card whenever there’s a foul. There are fouls, it's a contact sport but you can't give yellow cards for things like that.”
Brennan Johnson’s foul on James Justin
DG: “He didn’t issue a second yellow card for this and I think he’s right. Why would it be a yellow card? He’s not stopping a promising attack, he hasn’t pulled his shirt back. People mis-time tackles, if it’s half a second earlier he gets the ball.”
JB: “Again, consistency. It’s a foul but not a yellow card. If I’m being honest, that one there was probably worse than the Gudmundsson one. Leeds are going to feel aggrieved because they got a player sent off and then something like that happens which is probably a more physical challenge and he’s not got a yellow card.”
Leeds United penalty for handball
DG: “Why would you do this? It’s just panic, I don’t know what it is but it’s so obvious. Arm up, the minute it hits your arm up there it’s always going to be a penalty.”
JB: “I could tell you what he’s doing. Everyone has jumped and he’s lost sight of the ball, put his hand up because he doesn’t want to get hit in the face and the ball has hit his hand. That’s why his arm is in that position.”
Jefferson Lerma disallowed goal
DG: “I have to say, this is an amazing spot because the ball goes in the net, I looked at the replay and thought he’s not offside, VAR will give the goal here. Then when I suddenly saw the replay and the assistant pointing to Johnson, of course it’s offside. I watched it thinking there’s nobody offside but when I saw the replay, I thought ‘wow!’
JB: “It’s a great spot. I was seriously confused with that but it's a great spot. Sometimes officials might guess, but in that situation the player is on the other side of the pitch and he’s seen that. It’s the right decision, a great decision.”