Ref Watch: Arsenal defender William Saliba didn't get the ball in penalty incident at Brighton - the ball got him, says Dermot Gallagher

Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher assesses the controversial moments from the weekend's action, including Brighton's penalty award against Arsenal.

INCIDENT: Mikel Arteta was extremely disappointed with the penalty awarded to Brighton for something he has 'never seen in his life' - a clash of heads between William Saliba and Joao Pedro.

Anthony Taylor decided it was a penalty but replays showed Saliba got a decent chunk of the ball...

DERMOT SAYS: It's certainly interesting.

The problem is once you see it, and Anthony Taylor gives the penalty, and once you start examining it, you can't unsee it.

What you see is Pedro heads the ball onto Saliba's head. People say he got the ball but he didn't, the ball struck him. He does then catch him with his head and they are stood up, so it looks worse.

The referee gives the penalty on the field and I think VAR has no right to intervene in it.

INCIDENT: While the Brighton penalty was being taken there was an incident involving Jorginho kicking out. No contact was made here, but we saw last week with Joao Pedro that contact doesn't matter.

DERMOT SAYS: Contact has got to be violent or brutal.

I think this is petulant. It was checked and the VAR decides it is petulant.

If the ref sees it he can do a number of things. He can show a yellow or red card. The VAR can only put forward a red card. I don't think it's a red card so the VAR has got to back off.

INCIDENT: A controversial early equaliser for Newcastle. Anthony Gordon with the goal but should it have been ruled out for a Joelinton handball in the build up?

DERMOT SAYS: It's the law, isn't it. The law is asking, has he deliberately handled the ball?

It didn't directly lead to Joelinton scoring, so it goes back to whether or not it was deliberate. When you watch it, his arm is in and down by his side.

He can't bring it in any further. There's no doubt that the ball strikes it, so the argument is whether or not it is deliberate.

The referee and the VAR said no, so whether they like it or not that is the law and they have to play on.

Was it an unnatural position?

I think his arm starts in an unnatural position but you could see quite clearly that he tries to bring his arm in. The law has changed to it being the scorer, but he wasn't the scorer.

People don't like it, but that's the law. He brings his arm in.

INCIDENT: Andy Madley gave Spurs a free-kick for a Dan Burn handball, with the Newcastle defender already on a booking.

DERMOT SAYS:

Handball is not a mandatory yellow card. He has to ask if it is breaking up a promising attack. I felt a little bit for Dan Burn as he is trying to bring his arm in.

This is actually what players are trying to do now - make themselves smaller. I think it's on the halfway line, and so the referee is right to just award the free-kick.

INCIDENT: Joelinton involved once again. Was he lucky to get away with hitting Lucas Bergvall with his elbow?

DERMOT SAYS: I don't think it's a red card. They're close together and I don't think he's thrown it as a weapon. He's too close to get any power behind it.

INCIDENT: Newcastle wanted a penalty when Dejan Kulusevski clashed with Anthony Gordon in the box.

DERMOT SAYS: I have to hold my hand up here as when I saw this the first time around, I actually thought it was a penalty.

A lot of times I think you should go with your gut reaction, but the guy is already there so what can he do? He can't make himself invisible so I think they clash and the referee has actually got it right.

INCIDENT: Fulham boss Marco Silva was adamant that Leif Davis should have been sent off for denial of a goal scoring opportunity after this foul on Harry Wilson. The officials disagreed with that view.

DERMOT SAYS: I think because he makes a heavy touch, it gives Dara O'Shea a chance to get to the ball. For me, it turned from obvious to possible, and that is what the referee felt. The VAR looks and thought there was enough doubt and that's why it wasn't a red card.

INCIDENT: Harry Wilson was involved for the decision to award Fulham a penalty after he was tripped by Sam Morsy. Darren Bond sent to the monitor by the VAR Paul Tierney. Wilson also appeared to direct some choice words in the direction of referee Bond.

DERMOT SAYS: I have a feeling that the referee on the field feels he clips his own heels, which he does, but he gets clipped first. It's good VAR intervention.

All I think which has saved Harry Wilson [for his reaction] is because the referee has VAR talking in his ear, and are discussing what to do, he loses sight of what Wilson does.

I have to tell you Rob, that is a very, very, very dangerous thing to do. I think he is so lucky he has escaped heavy punishment.

INCIDENT: Ipswich were then awarded a penalty for Timothy Castagne's foul on Liam Delap. This time, there was no hesitation from the referee.

DERMOT SAYS: He catches him with his foot as well as his upper body. I think the referee sees both and gives the penalty. I think it's the right call. Once the referee has given it, the on-field call is always going to stand.

INCIDENT: Then a third penalty. This one was awarded to Fulham for a Leif Davis foul on Raul Jimenez.

DERMOT SAYS: It's an easy decision if you get it right, and he did get it right. It's just a mistimed challenge. It's a foul and a penalty.

INCIDENT: In the first half, there were shouts of a Fulham penalty for handball by Luke Woolfenden. VAR said no because his arm was by his side.

DERMOT SAYS: His arm is by his side, no doubt about that, so what could he do? I'd have been very upset had he given a penalty against me for that.

INCIDENT: Liverpool were awarded a second-half penalty when VAR intervened for a handball against Matthijs de Ligt. Michael Oliver was sent to the screen after not giving it, but then pointed to the spot.

DERMOT SAYS: It's a fair intervention because the rule is whether his arm is above shoulder.

Well, it clearly is and the ball flies off the head of the player in front of him.

His arm is too high.

It's a good intervention from VAR and they did it quickly. They sent the referee to the screen and he gave it straight away.

INCIDENT: Darwin Nunez was shown a yellow card for a coming together with De Ligt - but could it have been more than a yellow?

DERMOT SAYS: I think yellow card.

If you watch Nunez, he never looks at the ball. He's always looking at the player.

But he catches him in the chest and he doesn't come from a long distance.

They are the factors that stop it from being a red card.

INCIDENT: Should Chelsea have had a penalty at Crystal Palace after Tyrick Mitchell brought down Pedro Neto?

DERMOT SAYS: When I first saw it, I didn't think it was a penalty.

On the flight of the ball I thought Mitchell got the ball. But when you slow it down you do see he doesn't actually get the ball.

What I would say, however, is it is far from a clear and obvious error.

INCIDENT: Brentford had a goal disallowed at Southampton. Sepp Van den Berg's header ruled out after Stuart Attwell was sent to the monitor to look at a foul by Yoane Wissa on Jan Bednarek in the 6 yard box.

DERMOT SAYS: I think it is a good spot because I didn't see it watching the game.

Once you attention is drawn to something you can't unsee it. Once you see it, the referee goes to the monitor and says I've seen now what I didn't see in play.

INCIDENT: Bournemouth did have a claim for a penalty. Was Dango Ouattara caught by Orel Mangala as he tried to clear the ball?

DERMOT SAYS: The feeling was that the Bournemouth player has gone into him. I actually think he should be aware of what's around him. He got lucky. If he gave a penalty, we wouldn't argue.

Sue Smith on Livesport VIP News:

It's definitely not a penalty.

Stephen Warnock on Livesport VIP News:

He's not aware of those around him as he goes to clear the ball. But when you're in the penalty box, you go to swing your leg and think you can make contact as if you have acres of space and there aren't any players around you then you are very sadly mistaken. It's a massive risk.

It's a penalty. It's incredible how they made decisions over the weekend but there you go.

INCIDENT: Aberdeen were reduced to 10 players when Slobodan Rubezic was sent off after a clash with Tony Watt, then straight from the restart, Tawanda Maswanhise drilled home to double Motherwell's advantage.

Following a coming together with Watt, Rubezic was adjudged to have headbutted the Well man - receiving a straight red card as a result.

DERMOT SAYS: "Why would you give a referee a decision to make? If you see one of the angles, you are taking such a risk.

"He's lost as he's been shown a red card so the risk wasn't worth taking."

INCIDENT: Nicky Cadden is on the receiving end of a strong challenge from Mohamed Diomande but the Rangers man avoids a red card.

DERMOT SAYS: "I agree with both of them. It's low and reckless at best but he doesn't gather enough momentum, it's not high up the shin. It's a yellow card."

INCIDENT: Hibs came back to salvage a 3-3 draw as after Martin Boyle had swept the ball into the net from the edge of the box, he levelled from the penalty spot after Josh Campbell was hauled down by Ianis Hagi. Was a spot-kick a fair call?

DERMOT SAYS: "The referee thinks he's clumsy. He thinks he doesn't get the ball. This goes all the way back to the on-field decision. We want to empower our referees to make a call. It's not for VAR to overturn."

Stephen Warnock on Livesport VIP News:

"I completely disagree. How that's been given as a penalty, I will never know. I don't understand that decision. Where is the communication between the referee and the VAR? He should have been allowed to check the monitor.

"If he goes and then stands by his decision, then you've got a problem as he doesn't understand the game. How that is given a penalty, I will never know."