Ref Watch: VAR would have allowed Naby Keita's equaliser for Liverpool at Southampton on FNF

Ref Watch: VAR would have allowed Naby Keita's equaliser for Liverpool at Southampton on FNF Plus incidents at both St James' Park and the John Smith's Stadium

Image: Naby Keita (left) celebrates Liverpool's equaliser at St Mary's, but should the goal have been ruled out for offside?

Should Liverpool's equaliser have stood at St Mary's? Did Lucas Digne commit a foul throw just prior to Everton's winner against Arsenal? Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher gives us his verdict from the weekend's games.

As always, there were a whole host of hotly-contested decisions over the past few days. So whether it was possible penalties, potential offside goals, or disputed foul throws, Dermot spoke to Sky Sports News about all the big incidents...

Highlights from Liverpool's 3-1 win over Southampton in the Premier League

INCIDENT: Mohamed Salah appears to be offside in the build-up to Liverpool's equaliser at St Mary's.

VERDICT: Naby Keita's goal would not have been ruled out by the VAR next season.

DERMOT SAYS: Salah was just offside in the build-up and it was unfortunate that it did not get spotted. But what you would say is the ball was crossed three times, so because of the time element and the fact that it went on so long, there was time to set up and regroup for Southampton quite a few times that the VAR would not have gone back that far. There are always going to be errors with referees, but that error occurred so far down the field that the game went on.


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INCIDENT: Naby Keita goes over in the box under a tackle from Maya Yoshida, but no penalty is given.

Liverpool's Naby Keita was brought down by Southampton's Maya Yoshida but there was no penalty given. Was it the right call?

VERDICT: Correct decision, no penalty.

DERMOT SAYS: I do not think this is a penalty, he has pushed the ball and seen Yoshida's leg and he has gone into it. And I think that is a coming together more than Yoshida fouling. Keita realises the ball has gone too far, he realises that and is already going down and then goes over his leg and Paul Tierney quite rightly says play on.

Highlights from Everton's 1-0 win over Arsenal in the Premier League

INCIDENT: Was there a foul throw by Lucas Digne in the lead-up to Everton's winner?

VERDICT: Correct decision, not a foul throw.

DERMOT SAYS: This is probably the most debated decision of the week in so much as when I first got on the Football League in 1985, that would have been a foul throw, everybody accepted that you have got to be behind the line. But a bit like with the ball in the corner flag at the moment, the law says your foot has got to be on the line, or behind the line. It does not say anything else, so the fact that part of his foot was on the line, in practical terms nowadays the PGMOL is just saying that is accepted practice that you can put your foot partly over the line.

Highlights from Leicester's 4-1 win against Huddersfield in the Premier League

INCIDENT: Calgar Soyuncu catches Karlan Grant in the box, with Huddersfield awarded a penalty.

VERDICT: Correct decision, penalty.

DERMOT SAYS: I think this is a penalty as when the ball is played, he gets a little nick on the ball, but the forward can still get that ball. And what he does then is he comes down on his foot and that is why I would give a penalty.

Highlights from Crystal Palace's 1-0 win against Newcastle in the Premier League

INCIDENT: Palace have a goal ruled out with James McArthur deemed to be offside and interfering with play.

VERDICT: Correct decision, offside.

DERMOT SAYS: Teamwork - I think the assistant (Simon Long) has said, 'look, he is in an offside position, but I need you to tell me where he is'. And Stuart Attwell, because he has a head-on view, can see that McArthur is in the goalkeeper's line of sight, which he is.