With 90 minutes gone of Arsenal’s game at West Brom it looked as if Arsenal fans were going to get a happy end of year party with 3 points in the bag, but Mike Dean whistled for a penalty that not even the West Brom players bothered shouting for. The ball was kicked at Calum Chambers from about a foot away and the Englishman had absolutely no chance of avoiding the ball hitting his hand, but astonishingly Dean blew his whistle.
Apparently it has been discussed in meetings with the referees Association and agreed that this situation did not merit a penalty, as Petr Cech explained. “Every time we have a meeting with the referees prior to the season and it comes to this point where the player is too close to the ball and he has no chance to react.” the Arsenal keeper said. “He has his hands by his side and it can never be a penalty. The referee gives this with two minutes to go and I asked him why he changed his opinion to give a penalty, when every time we have this meeting, it’s clear that they say this is not a penalty.” instead of answering the question, Dean just showed him a yellow card. Cech ced:ontinu “I got booked as well and I think that’s the most disappointing, because he could have told me ‘come later’, but he just gave me a yellow card. I was not rude, I just asked the question and I think this disappoints me even more.”
Cech was then asked if he had ever been this angry about a penalty decision before and he replied: “I’m just disappointed because of the penalty situation. I expect, when I walk towards the referee with respect and ask him a question, I would like him to answer me in a normal way and not give me a yellow card and say nothing.”
Arsene Wenger was definitely angry and was gesticulating at the fourth official right through added time. The boss was asked about the decision after the game. ” “What do you think?” Wenger replied.
“It wasn’t a penalty. There was no handball, it wasn’t a deliberate handball.
“I think the referee has not even seen it. I am angry because we have seen the same things again.”
Wenger then turned his fire on the profession, adding: “We have seen the same things again and again. We tried very hard a few years ago for the referees to become professional and we did. I see no improvement.
“At the end of the day there are two countries in Europe where you have professional referees: in Italy and in England. Not one English referee will go to the World Cup.
“But everything is alright. You cannot say a word against it because they are untouchable. It’s not only me who judges them.”
Even the West Brom manager Alan Pardew told the BBC that they were fortunate to get it, so I wonder if there is anyone in the world who saw that thinks it was the correct decision other than Mike Dean? I doubt it very very much.
But will Dean gwet punished for it? Will we get our two points baxck? No, I thought not….
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