Man City fans won’t be happy with what a former referee has said about three Tottenham calls

Former Premier League official Dermot Gallagher has weighed in on three major refereeing calls from Tottenham’s clash with Manchester City.

At half-time, Spurs appeared out of the contest, trailing 2–0 as City dominated the opening period and Tottenham struggled to make any real impact. But the hosts showed real character after the break, mounting an impressive comeback to level the score thanks to two goals from Dominic Solanke.

The turnaround was made even more impressive by Tottenham’s lengthy injury list, with Thomas Frank quick to praise Solanke’s influence on the game.

Former referee suggests Spurs avoided a late penalty call

Tottenham fans were left holding their breath late on when Erling Haaland went down in the box just before a City corner was taken. The referee waved play on, and VAR chose not to step in. Gallagher believes the officials stood by their decision because the ball was not in play at the time of the incident.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the former PGMOL chief explained:
“I heard the VAR say that when it happened, the ball was still dead for the corner.

“That’s where Dragusin was very fortunate, because if the ball had been delivered into the area, VAR would almost certainly have intervened. He wasn’t even watching the ball.”

Guardiola and Frank clash over Solanke’s opener

Another flashpoint arrived early in the second half when Solanke’s first goal sparked debate. Pep Guardiola felt the goal should have been disallowed for a foul on Marc Guehi, according to The Guardian.

Frank, however, stood firmly by the referee’s decision, arguing that officials need a higher bar before penalising physical contact.

Gallagher added his perspective:
“At the time, the main discussion was about offside—nobody really focused on a possible foul. City’s players were appealing for offside, and that’s what the check was for.

“Solanke clearly gets the first touch, and Guehi steps across him. Ultimately, it’s a decision for the referee on the pitch, and there’s no clear and obvious error.”

Rodri “lucky” to avoid dismissal

Gallagher also addressed claims that Rodri should have been shown a second yellow card, stating:
“Rodri is extremely fortunate. His manager then takes him off.”