Pundit issues ‘massive’ Mike Dean claim after new Chelsea twist
Noel Whelan has commended Video Assistant Referee Mike Dean after he “owned up” to the mistake which cost Chelsea all three points against Tottenham on Sunday (14 August).
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted referees must be accountable for their failings – “just like players and managers”.
Tottenham recorded a last-gasp 2-2 draw against Chelsea on Sunday, with Harry Kane scoring an injury-time header just moments after Cristian Romero appeared to pull the hair of Marc Cucurella inside the box.
VAR official Dean reviewed the incident but chose not to refer match referee Anthony Taylor to the pitchside monitor to take another look.
Writing in his MailPlus column (18 August), the experienced referee admitted he made a mistake in not giving Taylor the chance to review the clash.
Dean insisted he is “always learning” despite more than two decades as a Premier League official.
Whelan insisted the decision should have been “blatant” with the amount of footage available to the VAR system.
He told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury: “There’s no reason why this decision should be wrong.
“With the number of cameras and angles – it’s just blatant. It’s right there.
“However, owning up to your mistake is commendable. I don’t think there are enough referees that come out and admit their mistakes.
“You’ve got to say a massive fair play to him because he’s not hiding behind the FA or the PGMOL – he’s shouldering the responsibility.
“And rightly so. You’ve got to be accountable, just like managers and players.
“He could have said nothing but he’s taken ownership of a bad decision which cost Chelsea points.”
In other news, pundit “baffled” as source reveals new twist in Chelsea hunt for Anthony Gordon.