Ex-Premier League referee points finger at Harry Maguire as Man City controversy analysed
Keith Hackett has backed referee Jarred Gillett’s decision not to penalise Man City defender John Stones for a “coming together” with Newcastle United’s Fabian Schar on Sunday.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Premier League and Fifa official insisted he has “seen worse” from Man United skipper Harry Maguire go unpunished.
Stones clattered into Schar inside the 18-yard box in the first half of Man City’s 3-3 draw at St. James’ Park.
Referee Jarred Gillett ruled that the challenge was not worthy of a penalty and VAR official Peter Bankes deemed there to not have been a clear and obvious error.
Hackett believes referees would be split over whether the incident was worthy of a spot-kick.
“Look, it is a subjective call,” he told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs.
“You can give them one day and not give them the next.
“I have seen Harry Maguire do worse things and get away with it.
“I think John Stones was making a genuine attempt for the ball rather than an attempt to bring the player down.
“It is a tight call. If you put 100 referees in a room 60 will say it wasn’t a penalty and 40 will. It is a subjective call where there was scope for a penalty to be awarded but in the context of the game it was the right call.
“I think Gillett did really well in the game. If I was the referee I would have said that was a coming together.”
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