Former referee Dermot Gallagher believes that Alberto Moreno’s challenge on Sergio Aguero in Sunday’s Capital One Cup final warranted a penalty for Manchester City.
The Spanish defender clumsily left his leg out as Aguero attempted to run past him into the box. City’s star striker’s knee made contact with Moreno’s leg, leaving referee Michael Oliver with a decision to make.
Oliver, however, felt that there was not enough contact to change Aguero’s chances of scoring, and penalty appeals were waved away.
Gallagher, who officiated at Premier League level for 15 years, thinks that Oliver made a mistake and should have, indeed, awarded the eventual winners a penalty.
This was very reminiscent of Nacho Monreal’s challenge on Jamie Vardy two weeks ago. Moreno leaves his leg out, Aguero goes over it. I have no idea what Moreno is doing there, but for whatever reason Michael [Oliver] didn’t think it was a penalty. I thought it was a penalty.
Other key incidents in the match, such as Coutinho’s emotional celebration and a scuffle between Adam Lallana and Yaya Toure, were handled correctly by Oliver, according to Gallagher.
On the aforementioned tussle between Toure and Lallana:
I thought he [Oliver] did really well here, and I think every football fan will applaud the referee. If you are going to send somebody off for violent conduct it has got to be malicious and violent. I don’t think any of this is violent. Kompany comes in very quickly to diffuse the situation. It sent out a message of deterrent, which is the point.
