Match Officials Mic'd Up: Was Jhon Duran's red card for Aston Villa against Newcastle the right decision by Anthony Taylor?

Anthony Taylor sent off John Doran in Aston Villa’s Boxing Day clash with Newcastle – despite two teammates on the pitch advising him that a challenge on Fabian Schar was not a red card.

Duran was shown a straight red card by Taylor after he was deemed to have deliberately stepped on Schar.

The decision angered Aston Villa manager Unai Emery after the match, as he said: “It is difficult to accept three games to get this red card. There was no action aimed at sending him off.

“We work with him a lot to teach him. He is going in the direction we decide for him, but the referees have to be fair, and make decisions over time.”

Aston Villa were later unsuccessful in their appeal to overturn the three-match ban.

In the latest edition of Match Officials Mic’d Up, PGMOL president Howard Webb takes a look at the incident, including audio of the match from the officials involved.

What officials said

Referee Taylor: “He counters…”

Fourth official: “It seems casual from here.”

Second assistant referee: “So Duran backs off. To me, that’s a reckless act and nothing more. He’s trying to stop and then he lands in the wrong place.”

Referee Taylor: “Yes…”

Second assistant referee: “So, be careful Duran.”

Referee Taylor: “Wait, it is [Schar] It is held elsewhere here [on his body].

First Assistant Referee: “He’s holding it between his legs.”

Referee Taylor: “I will get a red card.”

Video Assistant Referee: “Well, we got a red card on the field.”

Referee Taylor shows the red card and says: “Not near the ball.”

Video Assistant Referee: “Checking the red card decision on the pitch. Well, there’s an obvious movement of the buttons, which is the studs across the back.”

Referee Taylor talks to the players“If it’s wrong, I’ll change it, okay?”

Video Assistant Referee: “Okay, show me that again? We got studs through the butt and upper back.”

Replay trigger: “I can show you a wider angle if you want?”

Video Assistant Referee: “please…”

Referee Taylor talks to the players: “He’s nowhere near the ball and he’s got his spikes in.”

VAR took ten seconds looking at the wider angle and saying: “I’m happy. Tails confirms the red card decision on the pitch. Verification completed.”

Referee Webb: The referee was in a better position to see the incident

PGMOL President Howard Webb:

“You can hear a range of opinions over the communications. The fourth official makes a comment based on what he saw, and the assistant referee suggests it might be a yellow card. But the best referee in the game over a long distance is the referee, who is right behind this situation.

“Fabian saw Schar making this clean tackle – Duran then took a few steps and then moved his right leg from right to left and onto the back of Schar, who was on the ground. He considered this to be a deliberate act by Duran and one of violent behaviour.

“It’s always difficult to read players’ minds, you have to judge the actions we see, and the physical evidence to make our judgements. In this case, the referee saw the action and felt it was a red card offence.

“The VAR watched the movement of that leg on Schar’s back and did not feel that the referee’s call was clearly wrong – perhaps he accepted it – and it remained a call on the pitch as a red card.” “.

Owen then makes the point – as devil’s advocate – that Doran becomes unbalanced and wonders if that would affect thinking?

“You need a level of certainty to send a player off, and the referee had that. He had a great vision for it, he would see dynamic movement when the two players were passing and competing for the ball.

“Then he saw that what he felt was the right leg going from the outside in, going somewhere else, and it could have continued past the player or to the left or right of the player.

“But the referee felt that landing his right leg on the opponent’s back was violent behavior and sent him off. It was always a full check once the referee had given a red card for violence.” behavior.”

Webb discusses more incidents on match officials Mic’d Up

Howard Webb also took a look at five other Premier League incidents in the latest edition of Match Officials Mic’d Up. Press play on the videos below to hear his thoughts…