by Andrew Crawshaw
So we now know the punishment for Arsène Wenger for his (correct) disparaging remarks on the quality of refereeing in the EPL. A visit by the referee who is probably most hated among Arsenal fans – Mike Dean.
- Referee – Mike Dean Age 49 from Meryside
- Assistant Referee 1 – Ian Hussin from Mersyside
- Assistant Referee 2 – Eddie Smart from the West Midlands
- Fourth Official – Kevin Friend age 46 from Leicestershire
Mike Dean’s first match in charge of Arsenal was 16 September 2000; a two one home victory against Coventry, the first of 10 successive wins under his whistle. Our first loss was to come in the 14th game when we lost to Bolton in the 4th round of the FA Cup. They also beat us in the 15th game in the League. We then had a run of wins and draws to the end of the 2008/9 season. Up to then our record was P26, W15, D9, L2.
Since the start of the 2009/10 season I have noted 35 games, W10, D12, L13 a very different set of results and significantly lower than Arsenal’s all games numbers. In this period our win percentage has dropped from 57.7% to 28.6%, the draw percentage has remained pretty much static 34.3% as against 34.6%. The real change has been in our lose percentage now 37.1% as opposed to 7.7% in the early years.
| Games | Win | Draw | Lose | ||||
| 2000/09 | 26 | 15 | 57.7% | 9 | 34.6% | 2 | 7.7% |
| 2009/date | 35 | 10 | 28.6% | 12 | 34.3% | 13 | 37.1% |
What has also been evident is that in many of these matches Mr Dean’s decision making has been very strange and that hasn’t depended on whom our opponents have been. I have included the table with all matches at the end of the post.
I have no qualms about Mr Dean’s knowledge of the rules of football – he undoubtedly knows then forwards, backwards and sideways. No – my problem is with his frequently bizarre interpretation of those rules and his insistence on treating Arsenal in a very different way to our opponents. As Walter said of our 2 – 0 loss at Chelsea on Sept 13 2015 :-
“In the season before he did three Arsenal matches. And in one of them he made a complete fool of himself by sending off Gabriel for nothing (except for just being an Arsenal player) and let Costa stay on the field to win the match for Chelsea. He even managed to send off Santi Cazorla off all people. We lost that one 2-0 with nine men on the field at the end. And another Chelsea player being able to kick left, right and everywhere in between without getting send off. No lenience for Santi when he committed a second bookable foul. Old skool Dean one could say.”
Here are links to the referee reviews we have published concerning Mr Dean over the past three years, you can find all of the others by typing in Mike Dean in the search window at the top of the website.
2016/17
Arsenal v Middlesbrough 82.9% overall bias against the two teams of 87/13 and no wrong Important Decisions – one of Mr Dean’s more benign games where he did a good honest job.
| Ref Review: Arsenal – Middlesbrough; a non Deanesque score! |
2015/16
Sunderland v Arsenal (0 – 0) 66% overall, bias against the two teams of 0/100 and one wrong Important Decision when Kaboul should have had a red card for a last man foul on Wellbeck in Min 79 (perhaps too late for the score to be affected).
Ref Review: Sunderland v Arsenal
Chelsea v Arsenal (2 – 0) 41% overall score, bias against the two teams of 5/95 and no fewer than 9 wrong Important Decisions all in Chelsea’s favour. Dean decided where the points were going that day all right. Even the FA rescinded some of his cards but that was too late for the points to be re-distributed.
http://Ref Review : Chelsea – Arsenal. How Mike Dean & Co screwed an entire game
2014/15
Arsenal v Man United (1 – 2) 53% overall, bias against the two teams of 80/20 and four wrong Important Decisions all in favour of United.
- Min 15 Shaw should have had a straight red card for first using his arms then tripping Wilshere in the penalty area,
- Min 50 McNair should have had a second red card for a studs up challenge on Wilshere that put him out for months (not even called a foul),
- Min 55 Fellaini who was offside but clearly interfering with play pushed Gibbs into Szczesny, both fouls ignored by Mr Deal who wrongly allowed a United goal to stand, Min 90+7 Di Maria should have been dismissed for an elbow to Chambers.
Man City v Arsenal (0 – 2) 64% overall, bias against the two teams of 27/73 and two wrong Important Decisions.
- Min40 Kompany was given a card for a foul and dissent but this should have been his second following an earlier challenge on Monreal.
- Min 55 Kompany should have had a third yellow card for a two footed challenge on Alexis.
Ref Review : Manchester City – Arsenal: A master class performance!
Conclusions
Mr Dean is one of the worst sorts of referee – he is inconsistent. He treats Arsenal players under a different interpretation of the rules from our opponents.
He has a noted aversion to awarding penalties to Arsenal, don’t put money on us getting one on Saturday
He does have the capability of being honest in a game, but all too frequently isn’t and it is not for nothing that all Arsenal supporters dread seeing him appointed as referee.
Our players should be in no doubt going into this game that they will be playing both a very good Spurs squad but also the referee. They need to be doubly careful not to get themselves into a position on the pitch that gives an open opportunity for Mr Dean to screw us because should such an opportunity arise I am quite certain that he will take it. I still remember him doing a little jig as Tottenham went two nil up in Feb 2012 before Adebayor committed a tackle that was so bad that even Mr Dean had to send him off. We turned that game round and eventually prevailed 5 – 2. Mr Dean’s refereeing noticeably changed as that game progressed and we became increasingly dominant.
The key to an Arsenal victory will be to take the game by the scruff of the neck from first kickoff and dominate the game – that way Mr Dean will have no opportunity to tilt the pitch. If we start slowly and allow Spurs to take the upper hand then Mr Dean will allow them to bully us all game and we will stand little chance.
COYG
All 61 Arsenal matches where Mr Dean had blown the whistle
| Season | Date | Match | Result | W/D/L | Yellow | Red | Pen |
| 2000/01 | 16 Sep 2000 | Arsenal v Coventry | 2 – 1 | W | 3 | ||
| 9 Dec 2000 | Arsenal v Newcastle | 5 – 0 | W | 2 | |||
| 3 Feb 2001 | Coventry v Arsenal | 0 – 1 | W | 7 | |||
| 2001/02 | – | – | – | – | |||
| 2002/03 | 9 Nov 2002 | Arsenal v Newcastle | 1 – 0 | W | 2 | ||
| 19 Jan 2003 | Arsenal v West Ham | 3 – 1 | W | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2003/04 | 27 Aug 2003 | Arsenal v Aston Villa | 2 – 0 | W | 7 | ||
| 1 Nov 2003 | Leeds v Arsenal | 1 – 4 | W | 1 | |||
| 9 May 2004 | Fulham v Arsenal | 0 – 1 | W | 4 | |||
| FA Cup 4th Round | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | 4 – 1 | W | 4 | 1 | ||
| 2004/05 | 2 Oct 2004 | Arsenal v Charlton | 4 – 0 | W | 4 | ||
| 6 Nov 2004 | Crystal Palace v Arsenal | 1 – 1 | D | 1 | |||
| 2005/06 | 24 Sep 2005 | West Ham v Arsenal | 0 – 0 | D | 2 | ||
| 15 Apr 2005 | Arsenal v West Brom | 3 – 1 | W | 3 | |||
| FA Cup 4th Round | Bolton v Arsenal | 1 – 0 | L | 6 | |||
| 2006/07 | 25 Nov 2006 | Bolton v Arsenal | 3 – 1 | L | 7 | ||
| 26 Dec 2006 | Watford v Arsenal | 1 – 2 | W | 2 | |||
| 21 Apr 2007 | Spurs v Arsenal | 2 – 2 | D | 4 | |||
| FA Cup 4th Round | Arsenal v Bolton | 1 – 1 | D | 6 | |||
| 2007/08 | 5 Dec 2007 | Newcastle v Arsenal | 1 – 1 | D | 5 | ||
| 23 Feb 2008 | Birmingham v Arsenal | 2 – 2 | D | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| EFL Cup last 16 | Shellield v Arsenal | 0 – 3 | W | – | – | – | |
| EFL Cup semi-final | Arsenal v Spurs | 1 – 1 | D | – | – | – | |
| 2008/09 | 13 Sep 2008 | Blackburn v Arsenal | 0 – 4 | W | 2 | 1 | |
| 30 Nov 2008 | Chelsea v Arsenal | 1 – 2 | W | 2 | |||
| 8 Feb 2008 | Spurs v Arsenal | 0 – 0 | D | 2 | 1 | ||
| 16 May 2009 | Man United v Arsenal | 0 – 0 | D | 5 | |||
| 2009/10 | 29 Aug 2009 | Man United v Arsenal | 2 – 1 | L | 3 | ||
| 16 Dec 2009 | Burnley v Arsenal | 1 – 1 | D | 2 | 1 | ||
| 7 Feb 2010 | Chelsea v Arsenal | 2 – 0 | L | 4 | |||
| 24 Apr 2010 | Arsenal v Man City | 0 – 0 | D | 6 | |||
| 2010/11 | 3 Oct 2010 | Chelsea v Arsenal | 2 – 0 | L | 2 | ||
| 7 Nov 2010 | Arsenal v Newcastle | 0 – 1 | L | 4 | 1 | ||
| FA Cup 3rd Round | Leeds v Arsenal | 1 – 3 | W | 3 | |||
| EFL Cup Final | Arsenal v Birmingham | 1 – 2 | L | 5 | |||
| 2011/12 | 2 Oct 2012 | Spurs v Arsenal | 2 – 1 | L | 3 | ||
| 26 Nov 2011 | Arsenal v Fulham | 1 – 1 | D | 4 | |||
| 22 Jan 2012 | Arsenal v Man United | 1 – 2 | L | 7 | |||
| 26 Feb 2012 | Arsenal v Spurs | 5 – 2 | W | 6 | 1 | 1 | |
| 31 Mar 2012 | QPR v Arsenal | 2 – 1 | L | 7 | |||
| 21 Apr 2012 | Arsenal v Chelsea | 0 – 0 | D | 7 | |||
| 2012/13 | 23 Sep 2012 | Man City v Arsenal | 1 – 1 | D | 1 | ||
| 3 Nov 2012 | Man United v Arsenal | 2 – 1 | D | 8 | 1 | 1 | |
| 13 Jan 2013 | Arsenal v Man City | 0 – 2 | L | 6 | 2 | 1 | |
| 14 May 2013 | Arsenal v Wigan | 4 – 1 | W | 2 | |||
| FA Cup Last 16 | Arsenal v Blackburn | 0 – 1 | L | 3 | |||
| EFL Cup quarter-final | Bradford v Arsenal | 4 – 3 (pens) | L | 5 | |||
| 2013/14 | 22 Sep 2013 | Arsenal v Stoke | 3 – 1 | W | 2 | ||
| 23 Dec 2013 | Arsenal v Chelsea | 0 – 0 | D | 3 | |||
| 16 Mar 2014 | Spurs v Arsenal | 0 – 1 | W | 8 | |||
| 29 Mar 2014 | Arsenal v Man City | 1 – 1 | D | 5 | |||
| 2014/15 | 22 Nov 2014 | Arsenal v Man United | 1 – 2 | L | 3 | ||
| 18 Jan 2015 | Man City v Arsenal | 0 – 2 | W | 6 | 1 | ||
| 11 Apr 2015 | Burnley v Arsenal | 0 – 1 | W | 2 | |||
| 17 May 2015 | Man United v Arsenal | 1 – 1 | D | 1 | |||
| FA Cup Last 16 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | 2 – 0 | W | 2 | |||
| 2015/16 | 19 Sep 2015 | Chelsea v Arsenal | 2 – 0 | L | 6 | 2 | |
| FA Cup 5th round | Arsenal v Hull | 0 – 0 | D | 5 | |||
| 2016/17 | 22 Oct 2016 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | 0 – 0 | D | 1 | ||
| 24 April 2016 | Sunderland v Arsenal | 0 – 0 | D | 6 | |||
| 13 May 2016 | Stoke v Arsenal | 1 – 4 | W | 3 | |||
| 2017/18 | 11 Aug 2017 | Arsenal v Leicester | 4 – 3 | W | 1 |
- Arsenal v Tottenham: return of the triumvirate, the battle of the midfield.
- Arsenal v Tottenham. Objectivity and perspective, not quite the same thing
- Arsenal v Tottenham: a little bit of perspective
Oh dear!
This looks too obvious though, maybe he will referee it fairly for a change.
1 ArseAnal have had so many “favourable” displays, ahem, over the last few decades and all they do is whinge about one redistributing the balance a bit ???
2 The joke really is that the last time he officiated in a Spurs match he point blank refused to award them a penalty despite three shouts of varying merit. And it cost, too. It was during Kane’s August curse period, he hit the woodwork. It as against Swansea and finished nil nil. So two dropped points thanks in no small part to Mike Dean. But the way you lot to on you’d think we are delighted to get him because he’s a banker for us!
Note the change in his numbers since Mike Riley became the chief of the refs…..
Sean, last season Dean send off 3 or 4 players in consecutive Tottenham matches if my memory is still correct and awarded a few penalties in those games. Oh the players send off were not tottenham players…. as this is against PL rules.
I remember even more serious media taking note of the above mentioned sequence of sending offs and penalties….
I say let’s create an abnormal betting pattern on a Chicken penalty and Kane to score at any time
Think we know what to expect from the officiating in this game sadly
I hope he he has it in his heart to repent and balances it out by sending an Arsenal player only in the dying minutes .
After our win is assured , of course !
Am sure Arsenal fans will be grateful for such tender mercies !
Go Gunners !
S-P
‘ArseAnal’
Wow, that’s clever and original, it’s a new one on us.
Did you think that up all by yourself or did your schoolteacher help you.
A statistical representation of a sewer:
https://mobile.twitter.com/BassTunedToRed/status/930401576421863425
Arsenal, fire pon dem.
Burn them up the Spuds and then feed them to the pigs. 🙂
Off topic but a reminder that the U23d are in action this evening at Borehamwood against Porto. I’ll post updates as anc when I ca. as the game progresses
There is no doubt referee Mike Dean had high handedly influenced the result of the Premier League match in September 2015 at Stamford Bridge to favour Chelsea but flagrantly disfavoured Arsenal in the match. And I believe he still remember the atrocities he committed against Arsenal in the match that day. But the big question now is, will he repeat same against Arsenal tomorrow in this latest North London Derby match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the PL at the Emirates Stadium? I doubt if he would this time around.
Nevertheless, Arsenal should be on their guard and be at red alert to deal with any injustices thrown against them in the game by putting in place contingency plan to thwart any anti-Arsenal referring and anti-Arsenal flagging seemingly being orchestrated by referee Mike Dean and his 2 match assistants during the match and come out clean from the match by nullifying anything in the game that constituted anti-Arsenal during the match.
The nullification of any anti-Arsenal match officiating by the PGMO match officials for this match has become imperative for the Gunners to activate during this match if they are to safeguard all the 3 points in the game they intended collecting which they MUST collect come what may in the match.