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Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has dropped his telling verdict on different key moments from Manchester United’s 4-4 draw against Aston Villa.
The Red Devils welcomed Unai Emery’s men to Old Trafford at the weekend and Michael Carrick’s side salvaged a Premier League point deep into injury time.
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Zion Suzuki flapped at a Bruno Fernandes corner in second-half injury time and Patrick Dorgu headed the ball into the back of the empty Aston Villa net. Zion Suzuki received contact from Senne Lammens in the box, but Manchester United’s equaliser against Aston Villa was not ruled off due to the incident.
“I think it is a goal – does he make a lot of contact? He does make contact, there is no doubt about that,” Dermot Gallagher said.
“Is Suzuki strong enough? I am not sure. We saw last week against Fulham a similar incident where he goes to punch the ball. He goes into an area that is congested and once he gets there, he needs to get a firm punch on it and he does not.”
The 69-year-old former Premier League referee added: “There is minimal contact, although there is contact; there is no doubt about that. Lammens is not looking at the ball and that does go against him, but is he looking to find a space, so it is harder for the goalkeeper to come through?
“It is one where the referee makes the decision and we talk about VAR assisting the referee; it has to be about the referee, who says, ‘No,’ and I think the referee is right.”
Villa took control of the Premier League contest after only five minutes on Sunday evening, as Alysson and Nicolas Jackson both netted past Senne Lammens. Matheus Cunha then won a penalty for United in the first half after Boubacar Kamara brought the 27-year-old Brazilian down with a sliding challenge.
“He doesn’t get the ball,” Gallagher explained.
“He gets it, but gets Cunha first. The referee said an on-field decision penalty. He only gets the ball because he goes through Cunha.”
VAR intervened during the Red Devils vs Villa match at the weekend and checked for a potential penalty after Bruno Fernandes caught Alysson with a potentially high boot in his challenge. Gallagher reviewed the incident and said that he agreed with VAR’s decision not to hand Villa a penalty kick.
“It is very interesting,” he added.
“He always looks at the ball and because he is, he doesn’t see Alysson behind him.
“Does Alysson move into him? I don’t think it’s a penalty. Everybody knows there is a higher threshold in the penalty area.”
Leny Yoro caught Johan Manzambi with a sliding challenge on the leg and the 20-year-old Man Utd defender was fortunate to escape punishment. Johan Manzambi was hooked off due to his injury and replaced by Joao Gomes in the second half at Old Trafford.
Gallagher said that VAR did review the incident and did not think that Leny Yoro’s tackle was a red card, but the former referee thinks that the entire situation was going to have an “all or nothing” outcome.
“He did, I was listening: he said he caught him on the boot, but did not think it was a red card,” he said.
“And that is the difficulty we have; it is all or nothing: either a sending-off or nothing, you can’t send him to say I think it is a yellow card.”
Man Utd are 18th in the Premier League table after Sunday’s 4-4 draw against Villa at Old Trafford. The Red Devils will now be out of Premier League action until 22nd November, as United will visit Anfield for their showdown with arch-rivals Liverpool.