"This Premier League season has, so far, been one in which pretty much every clubs fans have felt hard done by. For Burnley boss Sean Dyche, decisions it would seem, go against him every game. It is telling that no Premier League referees will be at the World Cup Finals in the summer."
Decisions have gone against sides and, at the end of the season, everything is meant to have balanced out. Penalties given when they shouldn’t have been and goals wrongly given after one official over rules another.
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For me though, and it’s highlighted because I follow City, are the tackles which are going unpunished this season. Jacob Murphy will be available for Newcastle as they take on Brighton after not only escaping a sending off, but also retrospective action.
His over the top studs to Gundogans leg is lucky for the German International in so much as he walked away from the encounter. Is this happening because sides are getting frustrated with chasing shadows when they play Manchester City?
That may be the case, but sooner or later, unless the officials call players to task, it will cost someone their season. And it is not just the sides at the wrong end of the table, fighting for their Premier League survival either.
During the Spurs game both Delle Ali and Harry Kane went in heavy on Raheem Sterling and Kevin DeBruyne. Again, both were arguably straight red cards and both received the yellow. This not only kept both players on the field, but also meant that no retrospective action would be taken.
Looking at the Premier League red cards stats, Manchester City’s first opponents in the New Year have the most red cards this season. That doesn’t mean they are overly violent on the field though.
Manchester City themselves have picked up two red cards. Both were second yellows, one for Kyle Walker against Everton for running backwards and the other was for Raheem Sterling who scored a goal.