Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb has backed the officiating team over the controversial Diogo Dalot challenge in Manchester United’s 2-0 victory against Manchester City, insisting the yellow card given to the Portugal international was correct.

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What Happened With Dalot?

Dalot was booked in the 11th minute for a high challenge on Jeremy Doku. The Portugal right-back attempted to intercept the ball, stretching out his leg, and his studs made contact with Doku’s knee.

The incident sparked debate, with many former players and fans claiming Dalot should have been sent off. However, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), Craig Pawson, supported referee Anthony Taylor’s on-field decision, describing the contact as “glancing and not with excessive force.”

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Howard Webb’s Defense of Referees

Webb, head of Professional Game Match Officials, stressed that slow-motion replays can exaggerate incidents:

“When you slow it down it can look a lot worse — and it does. When you freeze frame it, you can make a lot of situations look like red-card offences.”

He added that officials consider speed, force, and intensity when assessing challenges for red cards:

“The officials saw Dalot stretch forward, touch the ball, and make contact with Doku. They deemed it reckless, worthy of a yellow card. At full speed, there wasn’t a great deal of speed or intensity in the action.”

Webb emphasized that the on-field decision should stand, even if some think it could have been red:

“Yes, it could be red, but it’s a subjective judgment. I’m aligned that once the decision is taken on-field, we leave it as referee’s call and do not intervene with the video.”

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Reactions and Controversy

Many football figures disagreed with the decision. Former England striker Alan Shearer told BBC Sport:

“I think VAR got that terribly wrong. For me, that was a clear red card… it should have been a very easy decision to give a red.”

Despite the criticism, Webb insists that the VAR team acted correctly in not overturning the referee’s call.

Dalot’s yellow card meant Manchester United avoided playing almost 80 minutes with 10 men, a factor some argue was crucial to their 2-0 derby win.

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Takeaways

• Dalot received a yellow card for a high challenge on Jeremy Doku.
• VAR and on-field officials agreed the contact was glancing, not excessive.
• Howard Webb defends referees, saying slow-motion and freeze frames distort reality.
• Some former players and pundits, including Alan Shearer, disagreed, calling it a red-card offense.
• Webb highlights that subjective judgment, force, speed, and intensity are key to officiating decisions.