Ref Review : Chelsea – Arsenal. How Mike Dean & Co screwed an entire game

By Usama and Walter

CHELSEA vs. ARSENAL

  • COMPETITION: English Premier League
  • MATCH NO. 6
  • DATE: 19th September 2015
  • VENUE: Stamford Bridge (London, England)

MATCH OFFICIALS:

REFEREE: Mike Dean
1st LINESMAN: Simon Long
2nd LINESMAN: Stuart Burt
4th OFFICIAL: Michael Oliver

First Half

Fouls, Advantages, Cards, and Penalties

Time Foul by Foul For Description & Decision Points
00:26 Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) Sanchez and Ivanovic were challenging for the header inside the center of the field. Sanchez and Ivanovic both jumped up in the air, but both of them failed to head the ball. There was no foul contact involved by either of these players and the play should have carried on. But for some unknown reasons the referee awarded a foul against Arsenal.

Sanchez jump to head the ball did not involve the following for it to be considered a foul.

Sanchez jumped in the air without any support from the challenging player Ivanovic.

Sanchez did not used any trailing or leading arms on the challenging player Ivanovic.

Sanchez did not jumped on the back of Ivanovic before attempting to head the ball.

Sanchez did not pushed Ivanovic down or away from the ball.

Sanchez did not kicked Ivanovic while challenging for the header.

This should not have been a foul at all. But the referee gave a foul.

WRONG FOUL AGAINST ARSENAL.

-1 (FOUL)
00:55 Diego Costa (Chelsea) Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal) Koscienly had control of the ball inside the Arsenal’s Half. Koscienly then decided to pass forward when Costa came in running from and PUSHED Koscienly out of the field. This should have been a foul for Arsenal. But the referee didn’t give foul and carried the play on.

NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

-1 (FOUL)
01:55 Francis Coquelin (Arsenal) Diego Costa (Chelsea) Chelsea were on the counter attack with Costa running with the ball and Coquelin chasing with a 1-2 yards gap in between them. Suddenly Costa who was running fell down with no contact at all. In the replays shown there was no contact of a trip, kick or a push by Coquelin on Costa for it to be a foul. No foul should have been awarded against Arsenal and the play should have carried on. But the referee gave a foul against Arsenal.

Now that Costa went down without any contact at all from Coquelin, it means he DECEIVED the referee by PRETENDING TO HAVE BEEN FOULED (SIMULATION). Costa should have been given a Yellow Card and it should have been a foul for Arsenal.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 125

Cautions for Unsporting Behaviour

• Attempts to deceive the referee by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation)

 

WRONG FOUL AGAINST ARSENAL.

NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

NO YELLOW CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA FOR DIVING.

-1 (FOUL)

-1 (FOUL)

-2 (YELLOW CARD)

03:26 Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Ivanovic slightly kicked Sanchez but Arsenal gathered possession of the ball.

CORRECT ADVANTAGE PLAYED FOR ARSENAL.

1 (Advantage)
07:21 Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Sanchez was running with the ball inside the Chelsea’s Half when Ivanovic came from behind and charged him down carelessly.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
09:31 Eden Hazard (Chelsea) Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) Just as Ramsey passed the ball inside the center of the field, Hazard came in late and CHARGED Ramsey from behind.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
11:00 Oscar (Chelsea) Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal) The ball was in the air inside the Arsenal’s Half and Koscienly and Oscar were challenging for it. Before jumping and heading the ball, Oscar looked twice back at Koscienly and then raised his left elbow and STRIKED recklessly Koscienly in the face and the neck region. Koscienly then went down looking to be injured after Oscar struck him.

This should have foul for Arsenal and a Yellow Card against Oscar. But the referee played an advantage for Arsenal and no yellow card was given against Oscar.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 37

Direct Free Kick

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following seven offences in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:

• Kicks or attempts to kick an opponent

• Trips or attempts to trip an opponent

• Jumps at an opponent

• Charges an opponent

Strikes or attempts to strike an opponent

• Pushes an opponent

• Tackles an opponent

 

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 119

Careless, Reckless, Using Excessive Force

“Reckless” means that the player has acted with complete disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, his opponent.

• A player who plays in a reckless manner must be cautioned

WRONG ADVANTAGE PLAYED AGAINST CHELSEA.

NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

NO YELLOW CARD AGAINST OSCAR.

-1 (Advantage)

-1 (FOUL)

-2 (YELLOW CARD)

11:04 Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea) Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) Just as Ramsey had passed the ball, Azpilicueta came late and TRIPPED Ramsey, but Arsenal gathered possession quickly.

CORRECT ADVANTAGE PLAYED FOR ARSENAL.

1 (Advantage)
12:50 Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) Francis Coquelin (Arsenal) Coquelin was trying to turn with the ball inside Arsenal’s Half when Fabregas came from behind and TRIPPED him.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
14:34 Gabriel Paulista (Arsenal) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) Gabriel came in late and failed to tackle the ball thereby TACKLING Hazard.

CORRECT FOUL FOR CHELSEA.

1 (FOUL)
24:21 Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Diego Costa (Chelsea) Slight trip by Sanchez on Costa inside the Arsenal’s Half but Costa recovered his balance.

CORRECT ADVANTAGE PLAYED FOR CHELSEA.

1 (Advantage)
25:40 Gary Cahill (Chelsea) Petr Cech (Arsenal) As the corner was delivered in the penalty area, Cech and Cahill both jumped. Cahill jumped and tried to stop Cech from using his hands to catch by pushing Cech’s left hand down. This should have been for Arsenal. But the referee awarded no foul for Arsenal.

NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

-1 (FOUL)
26:59 Gary Cahill (Chelsea) Theo Walcott (Arsenal) While Walcott was trying to control the ball inside the center of the field, Cahill kept on PULLING Walcott’s left arm.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
27:45 Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Just as Sanchez turned with the ball Ivanovic tripped him inside the Chelsea’s Half.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
29:14 Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal) Diego Costa (Chelsea) Costa was running with the ball and Koscienly was behind him. Koscienly made a sliding tackle and cleanly cleared out the ball from Costa, then Costa fell down. No foul or advantage should have been played in this situation. But the referee decided to play an advantage for Chelsea.

WRONG ADVANTAGE PLAYED AGAINST ARSENAL.

-1 (ADVANTAGE)
30:53 Santi Cazorla (Arsenal) Pedro Rodriguez (Chelsea) Pedro received the ball and started running inside Chelsea’s Half. Cazorla came in from behind and slightly tripped Pedro inside the Chelsea’s Half, Cazorla had no chance of playing the ball and clearly and intentionally committed a TACTICAL FOUL. Referee gave a correct foul for Chelsea and yellow card against Cazorla.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 125

Cautions for Unsporting Behaviour

There are different circumstances when a player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour, e.g. if a player:

• Commits in a reckless manner one of the seven offences that incur a direct free kick

• Commits a foul for the tactical purpose of interfering with or breaking up a promising attack

 

CORRECT FOUL FOR CHELSEA.

CORRECT YELLOW CARD AGAINST SANTI CAZORLA.

1 (FOUL)

2 (YELLOW CARD)

32:44 Diego Costa (Chelsea) After the referee called a goal kick, Costa quickly ran towards the referee and shouted and protested angrily against what Chelsea thought was a penalty. Costa continued to show dissent both verbally and non-verbally against the referee, according to the law mentioned below he should have been yellow carded by the referee.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 126

Showing Dissent by Word or Action

“A player who is guilty of dissent by protesting (verbally or non-verbally) against a referee’s decision must be cautioned.

The captain of a team has no special status or privileges under the Laws of the Game but he has a degree of responsibility for the behaviour of his team.”

Now since this was the second time the referee failed to give Costa a yellow card, it means by now he should have been sent off.

NO SECOND YELLOW CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA.

NO RED CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA.

-2 (YELLOW CARD)

-3 (RED CARD)

37:02 Gary Cahill (Chelsea) Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) Ozil and Cahill were rushing towards the ball, but touched the ball forward first and Cahill came in late and slightly kicked Ozil. But Ozil recovered his balance and continued the attack.

CORRECT ADVANTAGE PLAYED FOR ARSENAL.

1 (Advantage)
40:25 Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) Ramsey was in control of the ball, when he tried to turn, Matic came from the side and TRIPPED him.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
41:41 Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) After the referee gave a corner kick, Fabregas rushed to the referee and PROTESTED both verbally and non-verbally against what Fabregas believed to be a foul not given against Chelsea. According to the law mentioned below he should have been Yellow Carded but was not.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 126

Showing Dissent by Word or Action

“A player who is guilty of dissent by protesting (verbally or non-verbally) against a referee’s decision must be cautioned.

The captain of a team has no special status or privileges under the Laws of the Game but he has a degree of responsibility for the behaviour of his team.”

NO YELLOW CARD AGAINST CESC FABREGAS.

-2 (YELLOW CARD)
42:54 Diego Costa (Chelsea) Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal) Hazard was in control of the ball on the left wing. Koscienly and Costa were in the penalty box. Out of nowhere Costa does the following:

Uses both of his hands and GOUGES and SCRATCHES the eyes and face of Koscienly.

Then at the same moment he SWINGS and HITS his right arm in the face of Koscienly.

While swinging his right arm in the face of Koscienly, Costa AGAIN GOUGES the left eye of Koscienly by bending his middle finger and forefinger.

This incident should have been a foul for Arsenal and a RED CARD against Costa. None of it was given by the referee.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 129

Violent Conduct

“A player is guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball.

 He is also guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against a team-mate, spectator, match official or any other person.

 Violent conduct may occur either on the field of play or outside its boundaries, whether the ball is in play or not.

 Advantage should not be applied in situations involving violent conduct unless there is a clear subsequent opportunity to score a goal. The referee must send off the player guilty of violent conduct when the ball is next out of play.

 Referees are reminded that violent conduct often leads to mass confrontation, therefore they must try to avert this with active intervention.

A player, substitute or substituted player who is guilty of violent conduct must be sent off.”

 NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

NO RED CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA.

-1 (FOUL)

-3 (RED CARD)

43:15 Diego Costa (Chelsea) Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal)

Gabriel Paulista (Arsenal)

Azpilicueta delivered a cross in to the box and Costa and Koscienly were looking to challenge for the ball, when Costa tries to push Koscienly out of the way and he falls down himself. Cech caught the ball and played it forward.

Costa then quickly stood up and SHOVED and PUSHED Koscienly using his chest. It was so excessive in force that Koscienly fell down. This should have been a foul for Arsenal and a Red card against Diego Costa. No foul was given and no Red Card was given.

Then Gabriel comes from behind and GRABS and PUSHES Costa away from Koscienly. But at the same time Costa uses his left hand SCRATCHES the right side of the neck of Gabriel so badly and brutally that there were clear marks of Costa’s fingers on neck of Gabriel. Gabriel was correctly awarded a yellow card for his reckless conduct. This should have been Red Card against Costa for his violent conduct. But was again not given a Red Card and instead the referee wrongly gave Costa a Yellow Card.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 129

Violent Conduct

“A player is guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball.

 He is also guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against a team-mate, spectator, match official or any other person.

 Violent conduct may occur either on the field of play or outside its boundaries, whether the ball is in play or not.

 Advantage should not be applied in situations involving violent conduct unless there is a clear subsequent opportunity to score a goal. The referee must send off the player guilty of violent conduct when the ball is next out of play.

 Referees are reminded that violent conduct often leads to mass confrontation, therefore they must try to avert this with active intervention.

A player, substitute or substituted player who is guilty of violent conduct must be sent off.”

NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

WRONG YELLOW CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA.

NO RED CARD AGAISNT DIEGO COSTA.

NO RED CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA.

CORRECT YELLOW CARD AGAINST GABRIEL.

-1 (FOUL)

-2 (YELLOW CARD)

-3 (RED CARD)

-3 (RED CARD)

2 (YELLOW CARD)

 

45:19 Gabriel Paulista (Arsenal) Diego Costa (Chelsea) After referee had stopped the confrontation between Arsenal and Chelsea, Costa stood behind Gabriel. Gabriel who was walking behind raised his left heel slightly backwards which did not made contact at all with Costa. The referee came under the pressure from the Chelsea players and gave Gabriel a RED CARD.

Considering the following below there was no way Gabriel should have been given a straight Red Card.

Gabriel did not committed serious foul play as there was no challenge of excessive force made by Gabriel.

Gabriel did not show violent conduct as there the raise of heel of Gabriel did not involve any contact or any brutality.

The following are offences for which a player can be sent off.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 40

Sending­–Off Offences

A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off if he commits any of the following seven offences:

• Serious foul play

• Violent conduct

• Spitting at an opponent or any other person

• Denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

• Denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick

• Using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures

• Receiving a second caution in the same match

Now during the incident Costa and Fabregas both started to PROTEST against referee both verbally and non-verbally, with both of them coming close to push the referee and kept on shouting and forcing the referee to give Gabriel a red card. This should have been a third and second yellow card for both Costa and Fabregas respectively and that means both of them should have been sent off. No yellow card and no red card was given.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 126

Showing Dissent by Word or Action

A player who is guilty of dissent by protesting (verbally or non-verbally) against a referee’s decision must be cautioned.

The captain of a team has no special status or privileges under the Laws of the Game but he has a degree of responsibility for the behaviour of his team.

WRONG RED CARD AGAISNT GABRIEL.

NO THIRD YELLOW CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA FOR PROTEST.

NO RED CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA.

·         NO SECOND YELLOW CARD AGAINST CESC FABREGAS FOR PROTEST.

NO RED CARD AGAINST CESC FABREGAS.

-3 (RED CARD)

-2 (YELLOW CARD)

-3 (RED CARD)

-2 (YELLOW CARD)

-3 (RED CARD)

45:59 Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) Gabriel Paulista (Arsenal) After Gabriel was sent off by the referee, Costa kept on provoking Gabriel which led Gabriel to move towards him again. Arsenal players tried to stop Gabriel from moving towards Costa and told him to leave the field. But out of nowhere Zouma comes running in and GRABS Gabriel by the throat using his right hand and CHOKES him twice. This was clear signs of Violent Conduct and Brutal Behaviour by Zouma and should have been sent off but was not.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 129

Violent Conduct

“A player is guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball.

 He is also guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against a team-mate, spectator, match official or any other person.

 Violent conduct may occur either on the field of play or outside its boundaries, whether the ball is in play or not.

 Advantage should not be applied in situations involving violent conduct unless there is a clear subsequent opportunity to score a goal. The referee must send off the player guilty of violent conduct when the ball is next out of play.

 Referees are reminded that violent conduct often leads to mass confrontation, therefore they must try to avert this with active intervention.

A player, substitute or substituted player who is guilty of violent conduct must be sent off.”

NO RED CARD AGAISNT KURT ZOUMA.

-3 (RED CARD)
 
Number of Correct Fouls for Arsenal – 6

Number of Correct Fouls for Chelsea – 2

Total Number of Correct Fouls – 8 [8 points]

Number of Incorrect Fouls against Arsenal – 8

Number of Incorrect Fouls against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Fouls – 8 [8 points]

Number of Correct Advantages for Arsenal – 3

Number of Correct Advantages for Chelsea – 1

Total Number of Correct Advantages – 4 [4points]

Number of Incorrect Advantages against Arsenal – 1

Number of Incorrect Advantages against Chelsea – 1

Total Number of Incorrect Advantages – 2 [2points]

Number of Correct Yellow Cards for Arsenal – 0

Number of Correct Yellow Cards for Chelsea – 2

Total Number of Correct Yellow Cards – 2 [4points]

Number of Incorrect Yellow Cards against Arsenal – 7

Number of Incorrect Yellow Cards against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Yellow Cards – 7 [14points]

Number of Correct Red Cards for Arsenal – 0

Number of Correct Red Cards for Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Correct Red Cards – 0

Number of Incorrect Red Cards against Arsenal – 8

Number of Incorrect Red Cards against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Red Cards – 8 [24points]

Offsides

Time Player Offside Defending Player Description & Decision Points
01:46 Theo Walcott (Arsenal) Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) Ramsey took a shot and it hit Walcott who was in an offside position, but the ball then fell near a Chelsea player with which they started a counter attack.

CORRECT ADVANTAGE PLAYED FOR OFFSIDE FOR CHELSEA.

1 (OFFSIDE)
12:08 Theo Walcott (Arsenal) Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) Walcott’s shoulder was in an offside position compared to Zouma.

CORRECT OFFSIDE FOR CHELSEA.

1 (OFFSIDE)
15:10 Theo Walcott (Arsenal) Gary Cahill (Chelsea) Walcott was a step too offside when the pass was made.

CORRECT OFFSIDE FOR CHELSEA.

1 (OFFSIDE)
 
Number of Correct Offsides for Arsenal – 0

Number of Correct Offsides for Chelsea – 3

Total Number of Correct Offsides – 3 [3 points]

 

Number of In-Correct Offsides against Arsenal – 0

Number of In-Correct Offsides against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Offsides – 0

 

Goal Kicks, Corners, and Throw-ins

Time Type Last Touch OFF Description & Decision
01:21 Corner Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
03:11 Throw-in Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
03:38 Goal Kick Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
04:16 Throw-in Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
05:24 Throw-in Gabriel Paulista (Arsenal)
06:27 Goal Kick Oscar (Chelsea)
10:23 Throw-in Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
11:18 Goal Kick Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
13:22 Goal Kick Nacho Monreal (Arsenal)
17:06 Corner Gabriel Paulista (Arsenal)
17:50 Throw-in Diego Costa (Chelsea)
20:00 Throw-in Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
22:20 Throw-in Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
22:45 Throw-in Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal)
25:14 Corner Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)
25:40 Goal Kick Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
26:12 Throw-in Petr Cech (Arsenal)
29:38 Goal Kick Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
32:40 Goal Kick Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
33:22 Throw-in Diego Costa (Chelsea)
34:26 Throw-in Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
34:36 Goal Kick Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
35:48 Throw-in Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) The ball last came off Sanchez not Pedro.

WRONG THROW-IN AGAINST CHELSEA.

36:36 Goal Kick Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)
37:18 Goal Kick Pedro Rodriguez (Chelsea)
37:47 Throw-in Petr Cech (Arsenal)
39:34 Throw-in Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
41:01 Throw-in Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
41:37 Throw-in Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
47:30 Throw-in Petr Cech (Arsenal)
47:56 Throw-in Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
48:21 Throw-in Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Number of Incorrect Throw-ins against Arsenal – 0

Number of Incorrect Throw-ins against Chelsea – 1

Total Number of Incorrect Throw-ins – 1 [1 points]

First Half Referee Report

Total Number of Correct Decisions for Arsenal – 6+3 = 9

Total Number of Correct Decisions for Chelsea – 2+1+2+3 = 8

Total Number of Correct Decisions = 9 + 8 = 17

 

 

AFTER POINTS HAVE BEEN WEIGHTED

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) for Arsenal – 6+3 = 9

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) for Chelsea – 2+1+4+3 = 10

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) = 9 + 10 = 19

 

Total Number of Incorrect Decisions against Arsenal – 8+1+7+8 = 24

Total Number of Incorrect Decisions against Chelsea – 1+1 = 2

Total Number of Incorrect Decisions = 25 + 2 = 27

 

AFTER POINTS HAVE BEEN WEIGHTED

Total Number of Incorrect Decisions (Weighted) against Arsenal – 8+1+14+24 = 47

Total Number of Incorrect Decisions (Weighted) against Chelsea – 1+1 = 2

Total Number of Incorrect Decisions (Weighted) = 47 + 2 = 49

 

 First Half Correct Decision Percentage = Total Correct Decisions / Total Decisions (Correct + Incorrect) = 17/(17+27) = 38.6%
First Half Correct Decision Percentage (WEIGHTED) = Total Correct Decisions / Total Decisions (Correct + Incorrect) = 19/(19+49) = 27.9%

Second Half

Fouls, Advantages, Cards, and Penalties

Time Foul by Foul For Description & Decision Points
46:50 Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Fabregas tripped Sanchez as he tried to turn inside Arsenal’s Half.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
48:09 Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Just as Sanchez received the ball outside the Chelsea’s penalty area, Ivanovic came from behind and pushed him. This was Ivanovic’s fourth foul in a period of 40 minutes. He was correctly yellow carded for persistent infringement.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 127

Persistent Infringement

Referees should be alert at all times to players who persistently infringe the Laws. In particular, they must be aware that, even if a player commits a number of different offences, he must still be cautioned for persistently infringing the Laws.

There is no specific number of infringements which constitutes “persistence” or the presence of a pattern – this is entirely a matter of judgement and must be determined in the context of effective game management.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

CORRECT YELLOW CARD AGAINST IVANOVIC.

1 (FOUL)

2 (YELLOW CARD)

51:37 Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) Cazorla lobbed the ball forward inside the Arsenal’s Half and Ramsey and Fabregas tried to chase after it. Fabregas raised his right foot and tried to control the ball but failed to do so and suddenly lost his balance. Ramsey also had raised his right foot but was 1-2 yards behind Fabregas and made no contact at all with the right foot of Fabregas. No foul should have been awarded, but the referee gave a free kick.

WRONG FOUL AGAINST ARSENAL.

-1 (FOUL)
61:45 Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea) Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) Ramsey was in control of the ball inside the Chelsea’s Half when Azpilicueta came from behind and used his right foot to trip Ramsey.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
62:49 Oscar (Chelsea) Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal) Koscienly made a clean sliding tackle on Fabregas and recovered the ball. Then he passed the ball to Sanchez, when at the same moment Oscar comes lunging in left footed, studs up and recklessly tackles Koscienly on the right foot. Koscienly looked to be injured. This should have been a foul for Arsenal and a Second Yellow Card against Oscar. Instead the referee played a wrong advantage and gave Oscar a Yellow Card correctly but two minutes later.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 119

Careless, Reckless, Using Excessive Force

“Reckless” means that the player has acted with complete disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, his opponent.

• A player who plays in a reckless manner must be cautioned

Now since this was second yellow card offence committed by Oscar in this match, he should have been RED CARDED and Sent Off by now, but was not.

 WRONG ADVANTAGE PLAYED AGAINST CHELSEA.

NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

CORRECT YELLOW CARD AGAINST OSCAR.

NO RED CARD AGAINST OSCAR.

-1 (ADVANTAGE)

-1 (FOUL)

2 (YELLOW CARD)

-3 (RED CARD)

62:53 Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Sanchez was in control of the ball and passed it to Walcott, when Matic came running CHARGED down Sanchez. This should have been a foul for Arsenal but no foul was given by the referee.

NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

-1 (FOUL)

 

65:04 Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) A push by Sanchez on Ivanovic while heading the ball.

CORRECT FOUL FOR CHELSEA.

1 (FOUL)
70:43 Ramires (Chelsea) Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) Sanchez was in control of the ball and turned with it, when Ramires came running tripped down Sanchez. This should have been a foul for Arsenal but no foul was given by the referee.

NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

-1 (FOUL)
70:54 Calum Chambers (Arsenal) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) The ball was near to Hazard and Chambers was coming in to challenge for it. Hazard cleanly kicked the ball forward and jumped in to the air to avoid a sliding tackle from Chambers. The late sliding tackle from Chambers was a lunging one and nowhere near the ball, but made very slight contact. Even though considering the attempt for a tackle was reckless in nature from Chambers, he was correctly given a yellow card.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 119

Careless, Reckless, Using Excessive Force

“Reckless” means that the player has acted with complete disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, his opponent.

• A player who plays in a reckless manner must be cautioned

CORRECT FOUL FOR CHELSEA.

CORRECT YELLOW CARD AGAINST CHAMBERS.

1 (FOUL)

2 (YELLOW CARD)

73:59 Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) Santi Cazorla (Arsenal) As Cazorla tried to move forward Fabregas pulled Cazorla’s right arm.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
78:18 Santi Cazorla (Arsenal) Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea) Cazorla went sliding in late to challenge Fabregas for the ball, but failed to do so and recklessly struck Fabregas on the right foot. The referee correctly gave a foul for Chelsea and Cazorla a second yellow card.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 119

Careless, Reckless, Using Excessive Force

“Reckless” means that the player has acted with complete disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, his opponent.

• A player who plays in a reckless manner must be cautioned

Now since this was Cazorla’s second bookable offence in this match, he was correctly sent off by the referee.

CORRECT FOUL FOR CHELSEA.

CORRECT YELLOW CARD AGAINST CAZORLA.

CORRECT RED CARD AGAINST CAZORLA.

1 (FOUL)

2 (YELLOW CARD)

3 (RED CARD)

80:06 Diego Costa (Chelsea) Alex Oxlade Chamberlain (Arsenal) Chamberlain won the ball from Costa, took control of it and passed it forward to Bellerin. Suddenly out of nowhere Costa SWINGS his right elbow in the face of Chamberlain and then LASHES out with his right foot, and finally attempts to REVERSE KICK Chamberlain in the chest. Costa was clearly and most obviously guilty of VIOLENT CONDUCT, EXCEESIVE FORCE and BRUTAL BEHAVIOUR. This should have been a foul for Arsenal and Costa should have been sent off by the referee. But the referee didn’t give any of these decisions.

LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 129

Violent Conduct

A player is guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball.

He is also guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against a team-mate, spectator, match official or any other person.

Violent conduct may occur either on the field of play or outside its boundaries, whether the ball is in play or not.

Advantage should not be applied in situations involving violent conduct unless there is a clear subsequent opportunity to score a goal. The referee must send off the player guilty of violent conduct when the ball is next out of play.

Referees are reminded that violent conduct often leads to mass confrontation, therefore they must try to avert this with active intervention.

A player, substitute or substituted player who is guilty of violent conduct must be sent off.

 NO FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

NO RED CARD AGAINST DIEGO COSTA.

-1 (FOUL)

-3 (RED CARD)

83:07 Ramires (Chelsea) Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) Giroud was in control of the ball when Ramires tripped him from inside the Chelsea’s Half.

CORRECT FOUL FOR ARSENAL.

1 (FOUL)
86:18 Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) Koscienly was late in kicking the ball and tackled Hazard without getting the ball.

CORRECT FOUL FOR CHELSEA.

1 (FOUL)
87:59 Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal) Koscienly was running with the ball but Ramires tackled it and the ball rebounded of Koscienly’s hands.

CORRECT FOUL FOR CHELSEA.

1 (FOUL)
94:24 Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) Ramsey was late in an attempt for a tackle and tripped Hazard.

CORRECT FOUL FOR CHELSEA.

1 (FOUL)
 
Number of Correct Fouls for Arsenal – 5

Number of Correct Fouls for Chelsea – 6

Total Number of Correct Fouls – 11 [11 points]

Number of Incorrect Fouls against Arsenal – 5

Number of Incorrect Fouls against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Fouls – 5 [5 points]

Number of Correct Advantages for Arsenal – 0

Number of Correct Advantages for Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Correct Advantages – 0

Number of Incorrect Advantages against Arsenal – 0

Number of Incorrect Advantages against Chelsea – 1

Total Number of Incorrect Advantages – 1 [1points]

Number of Correct Yellow Cards for Arsenal – 2

Number of Correct Yellow Cards for Chelsea – 2

Total Number of Correct Yellow Cards – 4 [8points]

Number of Incorrect Yellow Cards against Arsenal – 0

Number of Incorrect Yellow Cards against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Yellow Cards – 0

Number of Correct Red Cards for Arsenal – 0

Number of Correct Red Cards for Chelsea – 1

Total Number of Correct Red Cards – 1 [3points]

Number of Incorrect Red Cards against Arsenal – 2

Number of Incorrect Red Cards against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Red Cards – 2 [6points]

 

Offsides

Time Player Offside Defending Player Description & Decision Points
69:40 Theo Walcott (Arsenal) Gary Cahill (Chelsea) Walcott was a step offside behind Cahill.

CORRECT OFFSIDE FOR CHELSEA.

1 (OFFSIDE)
 
   
Number of Correct Offsides for Arsenal – 0

Number of Correct Offsides for Chelsea – 1

Total Number of Correct Offsides – 1 [1 points]

Number of Incorrect Offsides against Arsenal – 0

Number of Incorrect Offsides against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Offsides – 0

 

Goals

Time Goal Scorer Description & Decision Points
52:07 Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) Although there was nothing wrong with the goal scored by Zouma, the foul which led to this free kick was an INCORRECT one. REFER to FOUL at 51:37 Minutes. Thus this goal should not have stood.

WRONG GOAL AGAINST ARSENAL.

-3 (GOAL)
90:01 Eden Hazard (Chelsea) Hazard took a shot on goal and it deflected of Chambers and went in. Clean Goal.

CORRECT GOAL FOR CHELSEA.

3 (GOAL)
 
Number of Correct Goals for Arsenal – 0

Number of Correct Goals for Chelsea – 1

Total Number of Correct Goals – 1 [3 points]

 

Number of Incorrect Goals against Arsenal – 1

Number of Incorrect Goals against Chelsea – 0

Total Number of Incorrect Goals – 1 [3 points]

 

 

Goal Kicks, Corners, and Throw-ins

Time Type Last Touch OFF Description & Decision
45:49 Goal Kick Pedro Rodriguez (Chelsea)
46:28 Throw-in Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
47:26 Throw-in Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
49:09 Corner Asmir Begović (Chelsea)
49:52 Goal Kick Diego Costa (Chelsea)
54:05 Throw-in Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
54:39 Throw-in Petr Cech (Arsenal)
56:43 Throw-in Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)
57:39 Goal Kick Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
58:20 Throw-in Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)  
59:07 Goal Kick Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
63:20 Goal Kick Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
63:58 Goal Kick Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
64:34 Throw-in Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
64:44 Throw-in Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)
67:48 Goal Kick Pedro Rodriguez (Chelsea)
75:08 Goal Kick Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
75:41 Throw-in Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
76:13 Throw-in Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)
76:37 Throw-in Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)
77:04 Goal Kick Ramires (Arsenal)
80:44 Throw-in Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
81:53 Throw-in Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
82:07 Throw-in Alex Oxlade Chamberlain (Arsenal)
87:03 Corner Laurent Koscienly (Arsenal)
88:57 Throw-in Calum Chambers (Arsenal)
91:40 Throw-in Pedro Rodriguez (Chelsea)
92:48 Corner Calum Chambers (Arsenal)  
94:50 Corner Alex Oxlade Chamberlain (Arsenal)

Second Half Referee Report

Total Number of Correct Decisions for Arsenal – 5+2 = 7

Total Number of Correct Decisions for Chelsea – 6+2+1+1+1 = 11

Total Number of Correct Decisions = 7 + 11 = 18

 

AFTER POINTS HAVE BEEN WEIGHTED

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) for Arsenal – 5+4 = 9

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) for Chelsea – 6+4+3+1+3 = 17

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) = 9 + 17 = 26

 

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions against Arsenal – 5+2+1 = 8

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions against Chelsea – 1

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions = 8 + 1 = 9

 

AFTER POINTS HAVE BEEN WEIGHTED

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions (Weighted) against Arsenal – 5+6+3 = 14

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions (Weighted) against Chelsea – 1

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions (Weighted) = 14 + 1 = 15

 

 Second Half Correct Decision Percentage = Total Correct Decisions / Total Decisions (Correct + InCorrect) = 18/(18+9) = 66.6%
 Second Half Correct Decision Percentage (WEIGHTED) = Total Correct Decisions / Total Decisions (Correct + InCorrect) = 26/(26+15) = 63.4%

Full Time (1st Half + 2nd Half) Referee Report

Total Number of Correct Decisions for Arsenal – 9+7 = 16

Total Number of Correct Decisions for Chelsea – 8+11= 19

Total Number of Correct Decisions = 16 + 19 = 35

 

AFTER POINTS HAVE BEEN WEIGHTED

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) for Arsenal – 9+9 = 18

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) for Chelsea – 10+17 = 27

Total Number of Correct Decisions (Weighted) = 18 + 27 = 45

 

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions against Arsenal – 24+8 = 32

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions against Chelsea – 2+1 = 3

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions = 32 + 3 = 35

 

AFTER POINTS HAVE BEEN WEIGHTED

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions (Weighted) against Arsenal – 47+14 = 61

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions (Weighted) against Chelsea – 2+1 = 3

Total Number of In-Correct Decisions (Weighted) = 61 + 3 = 64

 

 Full Match Correct Decision Percentage = Total Correct Decisions / Total Decisions (Correct + InCorrect) = 35/(35+35) = 50%
Full Match Correct Decision Percentage (WEIGHTED) = Total Correct Decisions / Total Decisions (Correct + InCorrect) = 45(45+64) = 41.2%

APPENDIX

Key Decisions in the Match Points
Advantage 1
Foul 1
Incorrect Corner 1
Incorrect Goal Kick 1
Incorrect Throw-in 1
Other (Ref Positioning, Injuries, Time Wasting, etc.) 1
Offside 1
Yellow Card 2
Red Card 3
Goal 3
Penalty 3

 

NOTE: FOR ANY WRONG DECISION MADE THERE WILL BE NEGATIVE POINTS AWARDED FOR THAT SPECIFIC KIND OF EVENT.

NOTE: ANY INCORRECT OR WRONG DECISION/NON-DECISION WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED WITH A RED COLOUR.

NOTE: ANY DECISION THAT INVOLVES DOUBT IS HIGHLIGHTED AS BLUE IN COLOR.

NOTE: The word ‘FOR’ is used to show IN FAVOUR OF.

BELOW IS THE LINK FOR THE “FIFA LAWS OF THE GAME 2015/2016”. ANY LAW OF THE GAME IS DIRECTLY REFERENCED FROM THIS DOCUMENT.

http://www.fifa.com/mm/Document/FootballDevelopment/Refereeing/02/36/01/11/LawsofthegamewebEN_Neutral.pdf

 Do I really have to add anything to this report? Probably not as we all have seen the facts and incidents. The thing is that we now at the end of this report have added the number of decisions and compared how many things he got correct and how many things he got incorrect.

Well he got 50% of his decisions correct in this match. Let that sink in. 50%. Even a coin just being tossed up could have had the same result. But would have been cheaper. And then we wouldn’t have a debate on if it is fair or not because throwing up a coin is not fair but just a way to decide some things. It looked as if Dean was doing the same thing.

If we put weight on the decisions the score drops to one of the lowest scores I can remember from any ref. 41,2% correct decisions. That is not even half the number Mike Riley claims.

People might say: oh, the ref had a bad day on the field. Or he had a total off day. But if we look at the history and the numbers of Dean in the past this surely looks like something more sinister. We have seen it all before. With Dean on the field our players suffer more broken limbs or serious long term injuries than with any other ref. As if other teams feel (or know????) that they will get away with it. On the other hand Arsenal players will not get away with anything.

Two different sets of standards is what we have seen from Dean in the past but now he has reached new heights or better said lows. I think it should be clear for all and everyone after this match that Dean should never be allowed to do another Arsenal match as long as he is a ref. Not even from the Arsenal U8 team!  We don’t want to get our stars of the future being killed already.

In a way you might say that even the FA has seemingly being the only organisation in football that has tried to a little bit to give Arsenal a little bit of satisfaction or compensation after all that has been done to her.  The PGMO has completely been silent and has ignored the whole matter. Where is the press release from the PGMO in which it is saying that Mike Riley has picked up his phone and called Wenger to apologise? As he has done before to other managers who had bad refereeing performances? I haven’t heard about it so I think Mike Riley will have applauded the Dean actions. Giving him another match this weekend adds to that feeling.

It has been a disgraceful day for PL refereeing on that day. And the worst thing for Arsenal is that this charade has cost them dearly in points. With a ref making and daring to make the right decisions at the right time we might have had 3 points and would be only 2 points away from City. With the 2 points robbed against Liverpool we might even be level on points with City. One could say that the PGMO has cost us already a possible 5 points. And that after 6 matches….

How much longer do we have to accept this shit?

The petition “Prevent Mike Dean from refereeing another Arsenal game”  has reached 100,000!!! Please sign up if you haven’t yet.

55 Replies to “Ref Review : Chelsea – Arsenal. How Mike Dean & Co screwed an entire game”

  1. Great work Usama and Walter!

    Just wanted to add a correction to the end, after yesterday’s results, with those 3 points we would have been tied with United for 1st place, and the 2 points from Liverpool would have put us in 1st place outright!

  2. Great work chaps, a coherent and descriptive view of the match. Impressed by the level of detail and I am interested in including this in my article later this week. Is it possible to use fragments of this piece in my article?

    Thanks,

    Neil.

  3. This is a brilliant piece of work and must have been very time consuming. Well done guys.

    Assuming the petition ends up in Parliament, ths report (along with Dean’s record at Arsenal matches) would give much added substance to the debate.

    Further, the analysis clearly shows the cheating gamesmanship which the Odious One brings to football – we could well do without him also!

  4. maybe bypass PGMO entirely and take a case against dean for professional incompetence maybe he will retire then

  5. Until today, I had not recognised that Michael Oliver was the 4th official
    He has an even worse record with Arsenal that Dean.
    Dean 28% Arsenal Wins. Oliver only 17% when they have ref`d
    These two are the worst refs for Arsenal reffing by a long chalk

  6. really excellent report and this feels like a Rubicon moment. The FA were forced to exonerate Gabriel for the sending off but still managed to cock that up by banning him for a match and pocketing £10k for an offence he should never have been in a position to commit. The poor refereeing of the last few seasons continues to blight this and we are suffering more than most (but we are not the only team affected – witness the game at WHL yesterday).

    The solution seems fairly straightforward to me: why doesn’t UEFA/FIFA allows its referees to referee across the world at club level? Our players, managers, coaches, scouts and owners can be of any nationality so why not the refs? That would give us an almost endless source of referees to chose from and surely reduce the opportunities to influence individual officials?

  7. What is so amazing about that game (which surely goes down in the annuals of Arsenal as game ’50A’ or game ’51’)is that four highly trained referees did not/ could not see what a full stadium of over 40 000 spectators could see.

    These same four highly trained referees did not see / could not see are allowed to continue refereeing games.

    You couldn’t write this for it is so unbelievable.

  8. What a brilliant piece of work.

    What I would really like is one of the ‘review’ sceptics that frequent this site, to back up there scepticism with a similarly in depth ‘review’ from THERE perspective, and prove all this hard work to be the ‘bullshit’ they so often, and so vehemently, claim it to be.

    But we wont get it.

    They, and THEY, know who THEY are, will remain in there bunkers till the seas have calmed. At which point they will re assert there beliefs that we are simply ‘delude’, or ‘paranoid’, or both, in our beliefs that there is a clear and concerted anti Arsenal agenda within, not only the PGMO, but the complicit Media as well.

    In fact, without the complicit Media, it is highly unlikely the PGMO would get away with they shenanigans in the first place.

    But even more than one of our own naysayers challenging this fantastic piece of work, I would love one of our aforementioned Media haters to challenge it.

    But, not just with a cursory mention, abetted with the customary insults, but with an in depth rebuttable, accompanied with there own in depth analysis.

    But we all know it wont come. The silence will be deafening.

    Well lets hope this wonderfully profession piece of work, with the help of the petition, will attain the wider audience it so deserves. And more, that it proves enough to stir even those most sceptic out of there comatose ignorance.

  9. blacksheep63

    “The solution seems fairly straightforward to me: why doesn’t UEFA/FIFA allows its referees to referee across the world at club level? Our players, managers, coaches, scouts and owners can be of any nationality so why not the refs? That would give us an almost endless source of referees to chose from and surely reduce the opportunities to influence individual officials?”

    I’ve been saying this for years.

    A European pool of elite referees.

    If this was implemented, and even if each Country only providing as small a quota as the PGMO see fit to provide, that would give enough Referees to cover every match across the full range of counties within the ‘scheme’ (for want of a better word), without a referee ever needing to referee the same team twice.

    Even beyond that, I contest it would be preferable if a referee never even refereed within his own country.

    I think this is preferable for a number of reasons.

    a) No regional bias

    b) No Club bias (Pro/Anti due to being a ‘fan’ of a particular Team)

    c) Avoiding Media pressure (Inferring how Arsenal are ‘soft’ on the run up to a good kicking at OT)

    d) Avoiding Managerial influence (I think we all know the main protagonists of this)

    I also believe:

    i) The introduction of technology would be much hastened under such a system.

    ii) The possibility of a much more open approach to post match performance evaluation.

    iii) The implication of league tables for referees on the back of these evaluations.

    I think it’s a win win situation, at least for us, although I’m not quite so sure how the Germans or Spanish would feel about being lumbered with the likes of Dean and Co. ?

  10. I agree that Dean should never referee Arsenal again. However, I believe also that he should be suspended from all refereeing responsibilities, pending a full disciplinary hearing to consider the potential gross misconduct / incompetence revealed by the evidence of this report (backed by other material from previous experience), with a view to action including the possibility of dismissal.

    This is what would be expected in other industries / workplaces in response to such compelling prima-facie evidence of a serious case to answer.

  11. Fantastic work, you 2! This is an amazing piece of work and effort. How does the evil Riley and the despicable Dean get away with it? Most organisations in the democratic world are answerable to their citizens, but not PGMOL. (I’m not talking about ‘the voice of Howard Webb’ either.) Something has to happen now, surely, to end this corruption and injustice.

    ….but no doubt Twatkinson or Taylor are lined up for Sunday.

  12. almost wish i hadn’t read that i’m angry again (rightfully) ty guys for your time and effort.

    off course one must remember chelsea fans have never forced a ref to quit for fear of his health.

  13. I think we’ve all know now that Mike Riley & his agents are all out to make sure Arsenal will not win the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League title, save the club they’ve chosen to win it. Consequently turning the whole idea of to truly contest for the Premier League title into mockery. I think to save the Premier League officiating in particular and in football generally from falling into further shambles, the FA must arrest this ugly trend to stop more damages being done. Please allow me to deviate a bit from the topic content. Would the Boss agree to do another complete rotation of his Gunners, for the Olympiacos Ucl game on Tuesday night’s at the Emirates Stadium? Would he use the same starters, (save the injured Flamini) he used in the Spurs Capital One Cup game? Would that team be strong enough to beat Olympiacos? YES! Would d Boss rest all his 1st team Gunners he started at Leicester for the all important collection of all the 3 points at stake in the Man Utd game at d Emirates Stadium this coming Sunday?

  14. Hi all,

    this review is so good (and so damning) it made me delurk. It reads like a dark farce of the highest order, since Chelsea should have played the entire second half with only 8 players (Fabregas, Zouma and Costa with the forgotten red cards), with Oscar sent off in the second half for good measure. Costa by himself deserved 6 red cards going by the incidents and laws of the game cited here! You couldn´t make this stuff up if you tried. Add to that the non-existent foul that led to the first Chelsea goal (scored by a player who shouldn´t have been on the field to boot), and the tally simply defies imagination. How Wenger keeps his composure in the face of such obstacles I can´t fathom.
    Absolutely fantastic work, Usama and Walter.

  15. Funny how people only always see their own side of the story. 1998, David Beckham was given a straight red card for lifting his leg/chin and missed the opponent in an act of retaliation.
    He didn’t get a chance to plea his cause.
    Last year alone, over 3 times, ref got the calls wrongly and booked Chelsea players for simulation and diving even when the camera, tv commentators and all the viewers around the world saw it was a penalty in Chelsea’s favour.
    Now let me even bother to reply you. According to your observation, when a goal bound move is in a dangerous position is halted by a foul, the result is a Red card and a free kick or a penalty awarded if it happened inside the box. We all clearly saw Gabriel put his hands on Hazard and took him out. He shoved and pushed with excessive force(same thing that got him sent off though) and brought him down inside the 6 yard box. Now that’s a penalty and a straight red card, meaning Mike Dean would have solved the problem before it even arose.
    Also leading to the Costa striking his arm out (which was wrong of him) Hazard was with the ball, looked up for the runs of Costa only to find him been firmly held by the hands of Kolsieny. Now that’s a penalty all day, but instead of going down, Costa been the fighter he is did what was necessary to get out of the bear hug. Now at that moment the chance is gone, and Hazard opted for a lesser option and that was to give the ball to a Pedro outside the 16 yard box. I bet non of you all watched the match again leading to that incident, just the highlighted loop of what the English press wanted you you see.
    Now in all your deluded calls you made, I am happy you didn’t mention that at any point the ref denied you a penalty, clear or not. I just gave you 2. My point isn’t to discredit your so called fouls, but show where your selective calls ends.
    Now Costa took an exception to Kosielny bringing him down and standing above him (although that wasn’t a foul, it’s what every defender who can should do) and he stood up at that same spot, making Kosielny hit the ground like probably lots of other footballers would, to gain an advantage over their opponents when it soothes them. And then Gabriel who hasn’t been part of this rushes over and puts his hands on Costa. You know there is only going to be one outcome when this happens. Now judging from their previous history in Spain, it’s obvious Gabriel came fully to a pick a fight….the same way he did against Stoke city, elbowing the opponent and getting away with it as usual….
    Then after the ref cautions both parties he goes ahead and kicks out cleverly I must add, by pretending to back into Costa and lifting his stud to his Knee.
    And then the cry babies justifies this claiming he missed. whether or not he missed, his intentions was to cause body harm to an opponent and in RETALIATION. The rules is very clear.
    So before you go magnifying Costa’s offenses and diminishing Arsenal’s, you should probably look inward and ask yourself, if the ref had followed the law to the letter, won’t Arsenal have been under another 6:0 bashing?
    That’s in the past, we move forward.

  16. Reading this made my blood boil, again. Great work, guys.

    Every footy-loving fan ought to sign that petition. The yanks are doing a great job cleaning up the mess that is Fifa for us, even though they’re not famed for their love of football (or should it be soccer?). And we should also do our bit to clean up football, starting with the pgmob.

    Nice to have you back, jambug 🙂

  17. Dean not even demoted. On duty in the premiership yesterday. We know referees have been demoted in the past for a lot less than this.

  18. Ben, a second question: “According to your observation, when a goal bound move is in a dangerous position is halted by a foul, the result is a Red card and a free kick or a penalty awarded if it happened inside the box.”

    How on earth do you come to such an observation?

  19. Ben

    “…..all the viewers around the World saw it was a penalty in Chelseas favour”

    I’m not sure you’ve asked ALL of them Ben. Just a few mates at work and down the pub. Family maybe? But not everyone in the World surely?

    A bit prone to exaggeration, as well as delusion it would seem.

  20. Al

    Sorry, missed your post.

    Thanks. It’s good to be back. (Hols)

    To be fair it was probably best for my health I missed the shit storm following the Chelsea and CL results.

    I had the misfortune to get to know ONE Arsenal fan whilst away and he did nothing but slag Wenger off.

    You would of been proud of me.

    Suffice to say we didn’t become bosom pals. 🙂

  21. This is an excellent review, so much work has clearly gone into this.
    Been awaiting this review with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.
    What we saw should never happen in a proper sporting arena. But sadly, it was all too predictable.
    But there are positives. This was beamed worldwide, the English game and some of the refereeing laid bare for all to see. Surely mile Dean will never recover from this, whatever his true motives. Jose continues his car crash, lashing out randomly at doctors, Wenger, and now Newcastle Utd. There is some justice, yes, we lost points, but maybe Chelsea have as well, only speculation, i would wager Costa would have converted some of the chances Chelsea had yesterday.
    We lost the battle that day, but there is a bigger picture, one of the most detestible referees, and his organisation were shamed. The normally compliant FA threw Dean under the proverbial bus. I am sure we will pay a price , and look to Saturday’s referee appointment with interest. As Blacksheep has mentioned, maybe a rubicon has been crossed. There have been countless injustices on this team, but none so blatant, and widely publicised as this. Riley will hit out , using his refs with the most prestigious badges who by sheer and utter coincidence seem to be amongst the worst referees for Arsenal. But ,as with FIFA, there is a feeling the pgmol have gone too far this time..
    Dean, Riley and the pgmol should by rights be ashamed, but clearly they have no shame.
    On another note, I hear we have started something, apparently a city petition against the linesman at WHL yesterday has reached 20000.

  22. Walter and Usama,

    Quite comprehensive stuff this- but a bit overdone in a couple of places, in my opinion.

    What of the tackle on Oscar by Coquelin at 1:00? Was the ball won fairly there? For a comprehensive criticism of an absolutely disgraceful refereeing performance to be taken seriously- there should be no room for bias.

    Kurt Zouma to be sent off for choking Gabriel? The game had descended into chaos by then and there was a bit of a coming together there and yes, Zouma did rush in to shove Gabriel away. Zouma’s hand was at (or probably near) Gabriel’s neck- but choking?- you must be joking.
    What of Gabriel’s shove on Oscar then, and on Bellerin ;p?

    On Sanchez’s foul on Ivanovic in the first minute- these fouls are given sometimes when a player leans and jumps on an opponent. Yes, there wasn’t much there- Ivanovic did not go down (he was probably too strong for Sanchez)- but they have been given before. The rules that you refer to are not really objective. A bit too much is left for interpretation and that’s where the referee’s discretion comes in. When it’s in the grey, isn’t going with the ref the best possible option?

    And I am not sure if Ramsey was one-two yards behind Fabregas for the foul that led to the first goal. Here’s the link:
    http://s17.postimg.org/ycwllqlnz/Ramsey_Fabregrass.png

    Don’t get me wrong here- Mike Dean was absolutely horrendous in that game- no question. Hell, I even signed on that petition, but not because I believe he has an anti-Arsenal agenda or something but because he is plain incompetent. The game was simply a perfect illustration of that incompetence and hopefully, if something does end up happening because of the petition, who knows?- we might have a more transparent system after all.

  23. Great review Walter and Usama. Really appreciate the time you put into it as i am sure it must be a lot.
    Reading this has made me angry all over again. This is scandalous and had he been working in any other organisation Dean would surely have been suspended waiting for further action. Alas this is not any other organisation we are talking about but the PgMOB. An organisation whose leaders and employees can screw over and over again without any consequences. They operate in a mafia type secrecy and are accountable to no one. Shame to the FA and Premier League for still employing them to provide referees as they are clearly not uo to the job

  24. Anxiously waiting for the ref appointments tomorrow. Seeing how Riley is utterly shameless, i am expecting he is going to give the match to either Martin Atkinson or Anthony Taylor. Have a stinking feeling it will be Atkinson

  25. Mahdain……..think it will be one of those two refs, though thanks to the shambolic Dean, the pgmol are under unwelcome scrutiny. Utd are doing well, Scudamore himself said a strong Utd is needed for the brand. Last year the London clubs won the two main domestic trophies, Maybe Manchester s turn this year. Cannot see Chelsea winning it, think last weekend was a mike Dean thing rather than anything else……but we shall see.

  26. Hrishi,

    I will write this here again as I did in one of the reviews before. There is nothing important for me, Walter and many Arsenal fans than to see fair refereeing. I have watched the Chelsea match five times completely while reviewing, as I have also done the same with every other Arsenal game. And I myself report any wrong or incorrect decisions against Arsenal or against the opposition without hesitation. This report then undergoes further review through Walter.

    Firstly, you mentioned about Oscar and Coquelin at Minute 01:00. There was no foul by Coquelin. Just as Oscar received the ball, he turned. Coquelin was running behind him, Coquelin’s feet did not made any contact with Oscar, Coquelin did not charged at Oscar with his shoulder or body. The only contact between Coquelin and Oscar was after Oscar was falling to the ground. This contact was a right hand in the back of Oscar. Oscar fell down while turing quickly with the ball.

    Secondly, you mentioned about Zouma and Gabriel. Read “LAW 12 FOULS AND MISCONDUCT PAGE 129 Violent Conduct” Zouma came rushing towards Gabriel, for what? The ball was not in play. Then he grabbed Gabriel by the throat for a good three seconds. If that is not a form of Violent Conduct or use of Excessive Force then I don’t know what is.

    Then you talked about the shove by Gabriel on Oscar. Yes, Gabriel was angry about the red card and he looking out for Costa on the pitch and was trying to ignore even his teammates. What Gabriel did to Oscar and Bellerin was brushing their hands away from him. This is neither Violent Conduct or even Improper conduct.

    You also mentioned about the very first foul. You see when players challenge for a header of course there will be some sort contact involved. But in that specific foul Sanchez or Ivanovic did not push, shove, kick, elbow, trip or charged carelessly at each other. They both jumped and missed the ball. So the result should not have been a foul. The play should have carried on.

    On the Ramsey-Fabregas incident, I am talking about the rough distance prior to anyone attempting to kick the ball. And if you watch it Fabregas kicks the ball first cleanly forward and Ramsey misses the ball but Ramsey’s foot does not comes in contact with Fabregas. This picture only shows the position of both of these players, yes Ramsey’s foot was near to Fabregas but it did not made contact for it to be a foul. I would like to show you the footage but I am afraid it might cause Copyright issues to Untold Arsenal.

  27. Thanks Usama and Walter. Like Mahdain, reading it renews my anger. If Arsenal get screwed with the ref appt. like we expect, all Untolders should be prepared to start the petition again.
    Also, @jambug – good to see you back mate.

  28. Jambug
    I think the problem you and everyone else who believes Walter’s ref reviews to be like some sort of gospel run into , is the fact that most challenges and would be fouls can be interpreted in more than one way.

    For example, if it were Cahil bringing down Sanchez the way Gabriel brought down Hazard, more than a handful of UA regulars would cry foul and a penalty.

    Howard Webb stated after the game that he thought it wasn’t a penalty during the game but upon second viewing he changed his mind and would give it.

    Problem with Walter’s reviews is that as hard as he might try on daily basis to be and to sound neutral, his language often times gives him away.

    Arsenal player brings down an opponent and it’s a ” coming together”, (Ospina on Oscar)
    An opposing player brings down one of ours and it’s an “assault “.( Mc Nair on Wilshere)
    Arsenal are called wrongfully for a two inch off side , and it’s ” blatant ”
    Arsenal benefit from a two inch off side , and it’s ” marginal”
    There’s more examples I could cite but you get the picture.

    I personally believe there’s an anti- Arsenal bias in the media and with certain referees, but certainly not to the degree the ref reviews describe it.

    If ref reviews are such an exact science , then why more pro Arsenal and pro Wenger blogs don’t endorse them?
    Surely it can’t be because of internal competition for clicks and viewers since Arseblog or 7AM kick off ,often times recommend each other and other blogs when it is of interest to Arsenal fans.

    There was one of the proprietors of Positively Arsenal visiting on here a while back, and he made a comment to the effect that this blog is playing the victim card too much and nobody likes a victim.
    You personally chased him away and he respectively withdrew his comment.

    Whatever anti – Arsenal bias there is in the media and within the refereeing body, Walter’s ref reviews take it in the opposite direction and that’s quite all right by me. After all this is a heavily pro Arsenal and Wenger site and I wouldn’t expect anything else for a minute.

    Don’t expect the reviews to get any traction outside of this blog any time soon.

  29. Tom,

    Have you read the review ? We have used neutral and lawful language. Each incident is detailed with the players involved, location on the pitch, the description before the incident, during the incident and after the incident, the decision by the referee and the rules involved.

  30. Tom,

    You are right to question the bias of the reviews but the reviewers are honest and trustworthy and politely accept and answer any questions regarding particular entries. They will make minor adjustments if the argument or rule interpretation is convincing. The key here is integrity and a desire to tell the truth. whether it favours Arsenal or the opposition. If only the worst of the referees reviewed had some of that.

    The reviews may not be 100% because, as you say, a lot of incidents are open to interpretation. But they are very close to 100%, close enough to be taken at face value. When compared to the incompetence of the referee, any minor inaccuracy or dubious conclusions, if they exist at all, become irrelevant. If the referee in question has a competence percentage of 41.5% and the referee review, 95%, which I would say it has at least, then your argument falls apart.

    Your last statement.’Don’t expect the reviews to get any traction outside of this blog any time soon’ sounds misplaced. In fact, we know it is because the reviews have already gained ‘traction’ elsewhere. The paragraph before sounds quite patronising. At the end of the day, though, questioning the reviews is a healthy part of making sure that they are accurate.

    I wonder why Mike Dean has been so silent on this. Maybe the cat’s got his tongue.

  31. The incident at 01:55 involving Coq and Costa does not waving an imaginary card at the official carry a yellow card booking?

  32. Amazing information I hope this is loked at by someone at the corrupt PGMO but we all know that is wishful thinking.

  33. Guys, One slight correction,
    you say “Well he got 50% of his decisions correct in this match. Let that sink in. 50%. Even a coin just being tossed up could have had the same result. But would have been cheaper”
    If they just used a coin they’d still want 4 overpaid northern guys to guard/handle it, so it wouldn’t be any cheaper.

  34. Neil Ashton using this in an article….could be interesting, nothing wrong with having a few friends in the media

  35. Uzama & Walter good work but 2 glaring omissions.

    01.55 You missed the fact that Costa showed the imaginery card to try to get Coquelin booked.

    42.31 Check MOTD after Ramsey makes nothing of a good chance on my recording it is 19.26 when the commentator says ‘Diego Costa in the middle’ as Costa attempts an elbow in Koscelny’s face and slaps backwards. 30 seconds after this the ball is played back by Hazard & 19.57 Costa assaults Koscelny again. For some strange reason everbody seems to miss the first assault.

  36. Andy
    “Let that sink in. 50%. Even a coin just being tossed up could have had the same result”

    Hee. The coin could not have made the decisons he made any worse. The strangest thing for me is that the FA haven’t punished him in any way. I would much rather have the coin over Mike Dean; after all the coin doesnt consciously make bad decisons.

  37. The first assault occurs just before Pedro shoots at goal. Koscelny is the last defender & Costa assaults him. The Assistant has to see this because if he doesn’t then he should not be allowed on a football pitch as an official. The cheating by the officials is so blatant that it beggars belief that the FA have ignored this corruption in their midst.

  38. I am still a bit unsure about Gabriel’s actions on Hazard as Hazard was trying to get at the ball as it ran out of bounds through the left side of the box…two strong men battling. It is a foul that is almost never given but I think we were lucky to get away with it there.

  39. How Diego Costa stayed on the pitch is beyond my understanding. Refs should be ashamed to have allowed such kind of thuggery in a game watched by millions. I feel even 3 match retrospective ban given by the FA is not enough considering this is not his first time.

  40. GoingGoingGooner,
    The Hazard-Gabriel incident you talk about was what one could call two players both making minor fouls. Gabriel was in between the ball and Hazard and had the right to shield it out. Hazard then grabbed the arm of Gabriel trying to create a bit of space and Gabriel in turn then also used his arm to remain in control of the situation. I think that if Dean would have had any chance to call it just as a Gabriel foul he would have done so. But that would have made him look like an even bigger fool. If it would have happened in min 88 with the score 0-0 he might have been very very tempted to give the penalty I think…

  41. Yes the card waving hand should also be a yellow card. I think our reviews are not biased enough in favour of Arsenal 😉

  42. GoingGoingGooner – hazard grabs hold of Gabriel & pulls him towards & then expects a foul/penalty? If Gabriel was the only one holding then there is a case. Hazard is no angel. He is a Jose cheat, just like Fabregas has been converted. Mata refused to follow so he was sold. The Chelsea players have all learnt to cheat.

  43. jambug @ 3.49

    Your prediction was almost as accurate as the referee previews 🙂

    And no. No numbers were offered as alernative studies throrough analysis commentary complied by U.Zaka.

    I think it is fair to say after the same ‘individuals’ have been attempting to make their counter claims on this site of the work done by the site without any effort or data being offered, we can all see and observe how weak and lame their efforts are. Because as the next arrticel points out, if footballs less skilled cousin Rugby Football a sport where people grab each others’ bollocks under the eye of an official can use replay and 21st centuary technology, in the 21st Centuary, then…

    …i suppose that in order to troll this site conistently with such gibberish, publishing your gibberish in public view, means that

    a) you don’t care about sport
    b) you do not understand the context of sport in the 21st Centuary
    c) you are indeed just a lame and pathetic troll.

    One. or the other. Or more.

  44. Finsbury

    To be fair, predicting lame, ill considered, un substantiated responses, would appear from…….well, they know who THEY are 🙂 was not difficult.

    What Walter and Co produce is, on the other hand, something special.

    I loved this from Sally Pally:

    “The reviews may not be 100% because, as you say, a lot of incidents are open to interpretation. But they are very close to 100%, close enough to be taken at face value. When compared to the incompetence of the referee, any minor inaccuracy or dubious conclusions, if they exist at all, become irrelevant.”

    I absolutely agree with this.

    As brilliant as the reviews are they are NOT perfect. That would be impossible because so much about football is ‘subjective’.

    But to suggest they are done with bias, as the following quotation does, is an insult to Walters, and all the other reviewers, integrity.

    “Problem with Walter’s reviews is that as hard as he might try on daily basis to be and to sound neutral, his language often times gives him away.”

    With that in mind I would question, and have done many times, why anybody who holds the proprietors of this blog in such low regard, would insist on visiting it with such frequency ?

    Two faced hypocrites is a phrase that freely springs to mind.

  45. Shiiit. Kinda wish I wasn’t taking a break for a while after reading this one.

    Folks, if that’s Neil Ashton for real, that is a very interesting development.

    I wouldn’t bet on it being one you like.

    It would be amazing to be wrong- if this is treated respectfully and fairly, it’s good for us either way. Agreement would be phenomenally good; disagreement would also be good, because it’s our conviction that it would look and be, well, wrong.

    But all that hinges on proper respectful treatment of this work as it is. I can’t be optimistic about that. (I’m glad you called Santi’s yellows as yellows, is all i can say. They were for me, and my only gripe- a large one- comes from my belief Dean would have not done the same thing the other way around)

    If it makes a significant appearance, brace yourselves.

    Remember the use of penalty stats for Chelsea last year. All he had to do was provide the context. Fairness and honesty demanded it. The journalistic in question most likely had those stats there in front of him. He went another way.

    Oh, and Riley opted for Taylor for the weekend. He must be more defiant than concerned.

  46. Usama,
    Thank you for your reply. Not in entirely in agreement with your responses though.
    Sanchez on Ivanovic:
    Both jumped? To me at least, it seemed like all the jumping was done by Sanchez in that one. Ivanovic tried jumping and then thought better of it.
    http://s9.postimg.org/9tvc2vorz/When_Ivanovic_threw_Sanchez_into_the_air_and_got.png

    Coquelin on Oscar:
    Oscar has turned and is trying to hold off Coquelin before the ball that was in front of him suddenly goes behind him. What happens in between?- you decide.
    http://s12.postimg.org/n4u4hydnh/Evil_Oscar.png

    Ramsey on Fabregas:
    Not sure if fabregas got the ball cleanly there. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, please send me a link to the footage that helped you decide conclusively that there was no contact. The only thing that moved fairly unobstructed (apart from a faint Fabregas touch) was the ball. Ramsey’s feet took its counterpart on Fabregas along with it or that’s what I could make out from the Arsenal player footage and this:
    http://s15.postimg.org/so3a4ozkr/The_grass_is_always_bluer.png

    Zouma and Gabriel:
    Zouma’s reaction wasn’t mild by any standard. But if that was a red card offence, most red-cards should produce a domino effect of successive red cards. The operative word here is violent- not sure the same shade of the word is being used to describe offences from the two opposing sides.

    I think Tom sums it up quite well when he talks of how the differences in interpretation coupled with our own natural bias for Arsenal can perhaps give us a not-so-objective view of things. This is not an attack on anyone’s integrity. But sometimes, people see what they want to by no fault of their own. It’s confirmation bias at work.

  47. Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail – it looks like the email address provided is invalid, so can’t correspond with you. My email is on the home page if you want to get in touch with me.

  48. Usama – sorry I miss spelt your name in earlier comment.

    Please check/acknowledge the 42.31 assault on Koscelny. It seems to have escaped all the pundits & your scans. On Arsenal Player 1st Half it occurs 47.02/03. The second set of assaults occur 47.23/25.

    I’m not sure why but everyone seems to have missed the first set of assaults by Costa.

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