Idrissa Gueye red card: Why Everton midfielder sent off for punching team-mate Michael Keane - Match referees Mic'd Up

PGMO boss Howard Webb felt Idrissa Gueye left referee Tony Harrington with “very little choice” but to send him off for punching teammate Michael Keane during Everton’s win at Man Utd earlier this season.

Gueye saw red when the two came together after a heated argument at the end of a Man Utd attack, with Gueye clearly extending his hand to his Toffees colleague.

Everton went on to win the game 1–0 despite the early dismissal, and boss David Moyes said after the game that he felt Harrington rushed his decision. He later revealed that a club appeal against the decision had been rejected, but said he had been given “no reason” by the PGMO.

Replay of the audio from the incident and subsequent VAR review on the latest edition of Mic’d Up den Sky Sports revealed VAR officer Paul Howard had seen the contact as a “clear slap in the face” and upheld Harrington’s decision on the pitch.

WHAT THE OFFICIALS SAID:

Judge: “Red card on the field for a slap over [Gueye].”

WAS: “Checking the decision on the pitch for a red card for [Gueye]… There is an act of [Gueye]. I’d also like to check out Michael Keane’s act here before that, please.”

Assistant VAR: “Okay yes, I’ve seen a slap.”

WAS: “Confirms the decision on the red card on the field. [Gueye] clear attack on Michael Keane’s face.”

WEBB’S VERDICT:

Idrissa Gueye was sent off for violent conduct which falls under Law 12. According to Law 12, a player must be sent off if they use excessive force or brutality against an opponent, a teammate, a team official or a match referee. So it continues to include teammates and it’s unusual, we haven’t seen many of these situations happen before.

But when the referee in this case sees Gueye clearly punch Keane, his teammate, across the face, he has little choice but to act according to the laws of the game.

I’m sure the referee in this situation felt he was put in quite a difficult position – we want the referees to use their personality – we always used to say that Law 18 was common sense, the next Law after the first 17, but we also have to apply the Laws.

When it’s so clear that violent behavior has happened, in the face, and it’s prescribed in the laws of the game that it has to be a red card, I don’t think you can do anything but send the player off and the referee, in this case Tony Harrington, did the right thing.

Should Georginio Rutter’s equalizer against West Ham have stood?

Georgino Rutter’s late equalizer in Brighton’s 1-1 draw at home to West Ham was checked by VAR for two potential problems – a high foot and handball.

Charalampos Kostoulas’ right boot almost connects with the head of West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos as he delivers an overhead kick before Rutter controls the ball with his right arm.

Rutters’ initial shot is saved and then he is teed up by Jan Paul van Hecke to score.

WHAT THE OFFICIALS SAID:

WAS: “Possible high foot, possible handball.”

Judge: “No. Aim.”

Referee speaks to West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen: “There’s a random handball for me in the potential build-up, but it’s not a deliberate handball. It’s a random handball, so hang on there.

“The bicycle kick is never a foul to me. If it’s hit his right hand, it’s a random handball, his hands are down there, to me. But they’ll look at it, OK?”

WAS: “It’s not immediate [before the goal]. So now we only have to assess whether it is a deliberate handball or not.”

Assistant VAR: “I don’t think it’s a deliberate handball. The ball hits the thigh, bounces up, the arm is in a natural position. Van Hecke then plays the ball back to him so it’s not instant – so I’d like to give that.”

WAS: “It’s a non-conscious handball. There may be an accidental handball in the build-up, but it’s not deliberate.”

VAR, speaking to the referee: “Ok Simon [Hooper]that confirms the decision on the goal on the pitch. There is an accidental handball with 10, but it is not immediately before the goal. It comes off the thigh and touches the arm. Then confirm the decision on the goal on the pitch.”

WEBB’S VERDICT:

This is quite an unusual situation because the player who eventually scores a goal, in this case Georginio Rutter, actually made contact with the ball with his hand in the attacking phase before the goal.

But the important thing is that he did not immediately score after that contact. For some years now, you have not been able to score a goal immediately after the ball has hit your hand or arm.

The ball hits Rutter’s hand but it’s deemed a random handball by the refs, he then shoots, Areola makes a good save, palms it out to Van Hecke who actually then passes it back to Rutter to score.

It’s not an instant goal, a nice controlled pass by Van Hecke back to Rutter, and that resets the situation, and so the goal is allowed to stand as long as the refs deem this to be an accidental handball, not a deliberate handball, and they do in this situation.

“Everything about what he does is quite natural. He sets himself up for that ball to come in, it goes on his thigh first and the arm never really moves. It’s still in the same position, it’s quite low and natural and it’s considered an unconscious handball, so the only time you can punish him is if he scored straight away, which he didn’t.

“So I agree with the referees, this is not a handball offense that you would normally penalize. If it was a defender in the penalty area, for example, you wouldn’t give them a penalty, so I’m fine with it being considered an unintentional handball.”

On a high note: “I think what we’re seeing is that Kostoulas is getting really good contact on the ball with the athletic overhead kick and there’s almost no contact on the opponent in this case.

“The referee saw that in real time we heard him mention it and said it was good contact on the ball, VAR also looked at it and thought it was exactly that, a good play of the ball without a lot of contact and if it would have gone into the top corner I think most people would have wanted it to stand.”

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Watch Match Officials Mic’d Up on Sky Sports Premier League at 8pm on Tuesday.