Referee : Phil Dowd
So we had our old friend Phil Dowd in an Arsenal match.
Main talking points in the first half:
A possible penalty for Swansea. I know that only a handful of refs will give it against Arsenal and never in favour of Arsenal but when a defender jumps in the back of an attacker it is a foul. And if this foul happens in the penalty area then it is a penalty. But you will only see it given in 1 out of a 100 cases. But it still is a foul and should be called.
Another miss from the ref was when Williams went in dangerously on Cazorla and caught him with his studs on his foot. A dangerous foul but the ref completely missed it. Williams should have gotten a yellow card and Arsenal a free kick just outside the penalty area in the little D. With a player like Alexis not a bad place for a free kick. The missed yellow card would prove important in the second half.
The yellow card for Ramsey was a bit laughable. It was probably to get the crowd on his side a bit I think as I couldn’t see anything that warranted a yellow card for an obstruction in the middle of the field.
In the second half he should have sent off Williams for his assault on Cazorla. (Again Cazorla). He gave a yellow card for a possible leg breaking challenge and if he would have done his job he would have send Williams off by then. But he didn’t do a good enough job.
And seconds later the ref really made a technical error. Williams and Cazorla both had received treatment and the free kick was headed in to a corner. Both players still waiting on the sideline. Willimans then entered the playing field and only when he was already 3 or 4 meters inside the ref signaled to both players to come on. Technically this is another yellow card. So for the 3rd time he let Williams and Swansea get away with it. Cazorla by the way waited correct at the sideline before entering the playing field as it should be.
Mertesacker then got a yellow card for again I don’t know what or why. And again the ref let a Swansea player escape a card when he didn’t book Sigurdson who planted his studs right on the knee of Cazorla (again – the patter was clear by then). Planting the studs on the knee is dangerous so should have been booked.
The Arsenal goal was okay to the laws of the game and there the ref did a great job as Swansea player Carroll tried to hack down Oxlade who started the attack but the ref let it go and Arsenal scored and then the ref booked Carroll. That was great refereeing skill.
A few minutes later the ref missed a penalty for Arsenal. Swansea player Rangel swing out with his arm and hit Chambers in the face. Stopping an opponent by swinging a hand in his face is a foul and as it happened in the penalty area it should have been a penalty. So both teams could argue for a not given penalty. Both incidents are only given on seldom occasions but a foul is a foul.
Minutes later Swansea equalized and a few minutes later they could score again.
Dowd seemed pleased with that outcome and did a few Dowdy things I could say. Ki throwing himself to the ground with Alexis just chasing him and Alexis who didn’t know Dowd losing his temper a bit and getting a card.
Barrow making a theatrical dive and the assistant who stood 3 meters away not being impressed at all giving a throw to Arsenal but Dowd giving a free kick to Swansea for the dive.
In the extra time Taylor of Swansea handled the ball in his penalty area. Sanogo headed a ball in the ground and it bounced against his hands that were in front of his body. The player was looking away from the incident and didn’t know where the ball was going so I agree with the ref to give nothing for that handball.
Let us finish with the score of the ref first.
In the first half his score was 71.43% but when we put weight on it the score goes down to 60.71%. When we only look at the important decisions his score goes down to 50%.
In the second half he had again a total score of 71,88 and when we put weight on the decisions the score falls to 66%. If we only look at the important decisions we see a score of 40%.
Over the whole 90 minutes his score was 73% correct decisions. If we put weight on the decisions we have a score of 64%. And if we only look at the important decision we see a score of 42.86%.
Not really good in total but we have seen worse, unfortunately.
Well said but our performance is poor and the team lack winning mentality.
No mention of two shocking fouls early doors on Ashley Williams by Ramsey and Cazorla!
A very fair report on a very unsatisfactory referee.
I don’t think we have had a good ref (high point score with all major decisions correct) this season and indeed few, if any, last season.
But, we can see some signs of the PGMOL secret empire developing cracks, the sooner this happens the better!
Rob,
Give me the minute and I will look after them.
Mind you if there are no replays we give the ref the benefit of the doubt on his decision.
Walter we would not have won that game even if you were the ref – I cant stand Dowd the posturing prat but he had no bearing on the outcome – maybe you should do some stat’s and mark the performance of our coaching staff ?
Arsenal should always learn to play against 11 opponent players and the officials who will most times miss important calls. Chelsea shouldn’t have won if the ref. saw that Hazard running ball that led to the second goal is an inch out of the line and Liverpool is giving a deserved penalty. Such decisions would never be in favour of Arsenal in such circumstances. Some ref. are out to add to Arsenal woes.
why have Swansea City never beaten a so called BIG team on the FANTASTIC football & skill that they PERFORM ON A REGULAR basis.
Tope, I think the ref you’re complaining about probably had a better view of it than you. After all, that wasn’t Eden Hazard with the ball near the touchline…
Mutiu/4evered – Off topic.
I don’t think Walter is saying that Dowd cost Arsenal the game (possibly inferred if Williams gets a red – but not explicitly stated).
As for lack of winning mentality. That gets a troll bingo point.
Mind you, to be fair to Mutiu, some of the posters over the last few days would have racked up a hatful but I wasn’t around to check…
Can it be? A footballer with brains?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2831858/Shakhtar-Donetsk-captain-Croatia-midfielder-Darijo-Srna-buys-20-tonnes-tangerines-children-Ukraine.html
4evered…..why don’t YOU do some stats and show us what you’re trolling on about? Please enlighten us with your expertise and experience obtained coaching professional Football teams.
Very interesting can of worms has been opened up. FC Zurich are going to court after a vicious tackle on one of their players.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/nov/11/fc-zurich-take-legal-action-gilles-yapi-yapo-sandro-wieser
I know what Yapi-Yapo feels. Had a similar injuries before. You can break and tear anything in your legs and come back but not from knee cap and cartilage damage. You are a goner with that injury.
@Quincy
November 13, 2014 at 1:06 am
Thanks for sharing that…I also find it very interesting as I have made previous comments here in UA about legal action needing to be taken against players/clubs/officials who ‘intentionally’ either directly or indirectly (through bias refereeing) cost the club and player physical and economical/psychological damage – even carrier ending.
When a player has a limited (in comparison to other professions) time span to practice his profession, and a club relies on those short-few years – hampering those few years through intentional damage caused by a third party (either by instruction/officiating/carrying out the ‘assault’, MUST be liable for damages!
Another very fair review that shows yet again that Arsenal were cheated.
Slightly off topic but I see from tony that almost all of these articles are now being stolen by the national press. Everyone on this site should give themselves an ENORMOUS pat on the back for all the work they have done.
I can’t understand how anyone with any common sense – can criticize the referee reviews on UA.They close to if not completely accurate – more than can be said about the referees UA reviews!
Sorry guys, as much as I think there is an agenda against The Arsenal. We have been shocking this season. Starting every game at walking pace, letting teams get on the front foot and starting the season with only two experienced centre backs.
The 8th minute ‘foul’ by Ox on Montero was preceeded 10 seconds earlier by a foul from Montero on the OX of greater severity but ignored by the official.