Untold Ref Review: Manchester City 3 – 3 Sunderland « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade
This article is part of a series stretching over several seasons in which a team of referees analyse the work of refs in Premier League matches.
Our figures show that when we analyse the errors made by refs there are consistent trends which do not “even out” through the season, as some commentators would have it. All the earlier ref reviews plus analyses of the errors made by refs, and articles relating to our campaign to have the body which organises referees activities reformed, plus an analysis of the background to this campaign, can be found on:
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Today’s referee is Phil Dowd –
| MATCH REVIEW DETAILS – Phil Dowd (2012-03-31) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | ||||||
| Min | Type | Foul from | On | C/NC | Comment | Weight |
| 2 | OTHER | Richards | McClean | C | Push | 1 |
| 3 | PENALTY | Richards | C | some Sunderland players appeal for handball which is rubbish | 3 | |
| 5 | OTHER | Colback | Balotelli | C | holding | 1 |
| 8 | OTHER | Bardsley | Balotelli | NC | Replay shows no contact, a dive. Difficult to see for the ref from his angle maybe | 1 |
| 10 | OTHER | Balotelli | Bardsley | NC | Clatters in his back when the defender tries to head the ball, not given | 1 |
| 12 | OTHER | Yaya | C | handball | 1 | |
| 13 | OTHER | Larsson | Silva | C | Trip | 1 |
| 13 | OFFSIDE | MC | C | Very clear | 1 | |
| 17 | OFFSIDE | MC | C | Correct | 1 | |
| 20 | OTHER | Sun? | Yaya | C | jumped in his back, advantage signalled | 1 |
| 22 | OTHER | Throw in | NC | Throwin in to MC given to Sunderland | 1 | |
| 23 | OTHER | McClean | Silva | C | Trip | 1 |
| 25 | OTHER | mc? | Larsson | NC | push not given | 1 |
| 27 | OTHER | Silva | Cattermole | C | Jumped in the back | 1 |
| 29 | OTHER | Milner | McClean | C | Jumped in back | 1 |
| 30 | OTHER | Balotelli | Colback | C | Trip | 1 |
| 31 | GOAL | GOAL | Sunderland | C | correct goal, Bendtner positional offside but not active in play | 3 |
| 32 | OTHER | Milner | Bendtner | NC | push in the back not given | 1 |
| 34 | OTHER | Sun? | Silva | C | Little trip but he can continue unchallegend advantage given | 1 |
| 37 | OTHER | Cattermole | Balotelli | C | nothing given, Cattermole takes advantage of the line the ball is running. Balotelli lost the ball and just falls to the ground | 1 |
| 38 | PENALTY | Mignolet | Balotelli | C | Ref gives no penalty when both clash in the penalty area. Replay shows that Mignolet was first to the ball and then Balotelli clattered in to him | 3 |
| 38 | OTHER | Balotelli | Mignolet | NC | Because of Balotelli clattering in at the keeper he spills the ball and the ref gives a corner to City. Should have been a free kick to Sunderland | 1 |
| 39 | OTHER | Balotelli | Turner | C | jumped in the back of the defender | 1 |
| 39 | YELLOW | Balotelli | C | Ref has a word with Balotelli and tells him to cool down a bit, a verbal warning as he showed he was unhappy with the decision | 2 | |
| 39 | OTHER | Gardner | Yaya | C | holding for a long time and then tripped him | 1 |
| 39 | YELLOW | Gardner | C | Deliberate fouls one after the other | 2 | |
| 43 | PENALTY | Gardner | Dzeko | C | Trip, made contact with his left leg | 3 |
| 43 | GOAL | MC | C | correct goal | 3 | |
| 44 | OTHER | C | clash of heads, ref stops play | 1 | ||
| 45 | YELLOW | Bardsley | NC | while the games is halted for the head clash Barsdley pushes Dzeko in the chest under the nose of the ref, who gives no yellow card. Just a talking too both players | 2 | |
| 47 | OTHER | Balotelli | Mignolet | C | Balotelli moved in to stop the progress of the keeper, correct call. | 1 |
| 49 | OTHER | Kompany | Sessegnon | C | assumed correct, held him down | 1 |
| 49 | GOAL | Sun | C | correct goal | 3 | |
| Period 2 | ||||||
| Min | Type | Foul from | On | C/NC | Comment | Weight |
| 48 | OTHER | McClean | Dzeko | C | Trip | 1 |
| 51 | OTHER | Cattermole | Yaya | C | Trip | 1 |
| 55 | OTHER | Yaya | Sessegnon | C | Attempted trip from behdin, advantage given as he can continue free and release a striker | 1 |
| 55 | GOAL | Sun | C | Direct result from the great advantage played, correct goal | 3 | |
| 56 | OTHER | De Jong | Sessegnon | C | tackle from behind | 1 |
| 56 | YELLOW | De Jong | C | Ref had no option | 2 | |
| 58 | OTHER | Johnson | Colback | C | Came just late | 1 |
| 64 | OTHER | Larsson | Dzeko | C | Came in studs showing, didn’t touch him but could be dangerous, correct call | 1 |
| 69 | OTHER | Sun? | MC? | C | Trip but advantage given, Tevez shoots in the side net | 1 |
| 74 | OTHER | sun? | Yaya | NC | Push in the back not given | 1 |
| 81 | OTHER | Tevez | Cattermole | C | Trip | 1 |
| 82 | OTHER | McClean | Yaya | C | Trip | 1 |
| 85 | OTHER | Colback | Johnson | C | Obstruction | 1 |
| 85 | GOAL | ManC | C | Correct goal, also positional offside like with Sunderland first goal | 3 | |
| 86 | GOAL | ManC | C | CORRECT GOAL | 3 | |
| 87 | OTHER | Sessegnon | Kompany | C | trip | 1 |
| 88 | OTHER | Johnson | McClean | C | 1 | |
| 91 | OTHER | Kyrgiakos | balotelli | C | from behind | 1 |
| 94 | OTHER | NC | Despite a Sunderland sub in the extra time ref Dowd does not allow any extra extra time. I’ve seen him doing different once in a Sunderland game | 1 |
After his great game when he did Arsenal – Aston Villa again a performance that can be found on the good side of the ref reviews we have done.
However a few talking points. Manchester City claimed a penalty when Balotelli and Mignolet went for the ball. Mignolet was first and then they clattered together which forced Mignolet to drop the ball that went out of play. This was never a penalty but should have been a free kick to Sunderland. Dowd gave a corner to City.
There was an incident at the end of the first half when he stopped play for a clash of heads. Suddenly there was an incident under the nose of Dowd where Bardsley pushed Dzeko in an aggressive way on the chest. I thought he should have produced a yellow card there. Such incidents can set a game on fire if you don’t deal with them. Now the half time tea brought some peace.
| COMPETENCY SUMMARY – Phil Dowd (2012-03-31) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | Called | Total | Correct % |
| GOAL | 3 | 3 | 100.00 |
| OFFSIDE | 2 | 2 | 100.00 |
| OTHER | 16 | 22 | 72.73 |
| PENALTY | 3 | 3 | 100.00 |
| YELLOW | 2 | 3 | 66.67 |
| TOTAL | 26 | 33 | 78.79 |
| WEIGHTED | 40 | 48 | 83.33 |
| Period 2 | Called | Total | Correct % |
| GOAL | 3 | 3 | 100.00 |
| OTHER | 13 | 15 | 86.67 |
| YELLOW | 1 | 1 | 100.00 |
| TOTAL | 17 | 19 | 89.47 |
| WEIGHTED | 24 | 26 | 92.31 |
| Totals | Called | Total | Correct % |
| GOAL | 6 | 6 | 100.00 |
| OFFSIDE | 2 | 2 | 100.00 |
| OTHER | 29 | 37 | 78.38 |
| PENALTY | 3 | 3 | 100.00 |
| YELLOW | 3 | 4 | 75.00 |
| TOTAL | 43 | 52 | 82.69 |
| WEIGHTED | 64 | 74 | 86.49 |
But all in all another solid performance from Dowd who really is having a good season, if not a great.
| BIAS SUMMARY – Phil Dowd (2012-03-31) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | Manchester City | % | Sunderland | % | Total |
| Correct For | 11 | 42.31 | 15 | 57.69 | 26 |
| Correct For Weighted | 19 | 47.50 | 21 | 52.50 | 40 |
| Incorrect Against | 2 | 28.57 | 5 | 71.43 | 7 |
| Incorrect Against Weighted | 3 | 37.50 | 5 | 62.50 | 8 |
| Fouls Commited | 17 | 70.83 | 7 | 29.17 | 24 |
| Fouls Penalised | 11 | 64.71 | 7 | 100.00 | 18 |
| Period 2 | Manchester City | % | Sunderland | % | Total |
| Correct For | 10 | 58.82 | 7 | 41.18 | 17 |
| Correct For Weighted | 14 | 58.33 | 10 | 41.67 | 24 |
| Incorrect Against | 2 | 100.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 |
| Incorrect Against Weighted | 2 | 100.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 2 |
| Fouls Commited | 5 | 35.71 | 9 | 64.29 | 14 |
| Fouls Penalised | 5 | 100.00 | 8 | 88.89 | 13 |
| Totals | Manchester City | % | Sunderland | % | Total |
| Correct For | 21 | 48.84 | 22 | 51.16 | 43 |
| Correct For Weighted | 33 | 51.56 | 31 | 48.44 | 64 |
| Incorrect Against | 4 | 44.44 | 5 | 55.56 | 9 |
| Incorrect Against Weighted | 5 | 50.00 | 5 | 50.00 | 10 |
| Fouls Commited | 22 | 57.89 | 16 | 42.11 | 38 |
| Fouls Penalised | 16 | 72.73 | 15 | 93.75 | 31 |
The bias numbers are also very close so neither team could really complain about his wrong decisions. Slightly more than his average 8 wrong calls but only one so we will not make a big fuss of that.
The only remark I will make is about the fact that in extra time Sunderland made another substitution. But contrary to the game Sunderland – Arsenal last season where he gave also minutes and then let the play continue and continue until Sunderland scored he now stopped the game after 4.09 extra time on the clock. I think he should have allowed City another half a minute and certainly when they were on the attack. Or did he learn from his mistakes from last season? Or is he having a soft spot for Sunderland?
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