Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has weighed in on two controversial incidents during Wolves’ 2-1 win over Newcastle on Sunday, claiming that Mike Dean got both decisions correct.
The first incident was a red card for Magpies right-back DeAndre Yedlin after he pulled back Diogo Jota when through on goal, with the second being an elbow from Wolves defender Willy Boly which went unpunished.
Clattenburg has now delivered his verdict on both incidents, with the ex-referee believing that Dean was spot on with both decisions on the day.
In a column for the Daily Mail, Clattenburg said: “Newcastle fans will feel aggrieved that Mike Dean sent off DeAndre Yedlin and did not punish Wolves’ Willy Boly for an elbow but he got both big calls right.
“Yedlin could not recover after mis-hitting a pass and pulled down Diogo Jota as he raced towards the penalty area. Dean will have seen that Jamaal Lascelles would not have made it back in time to cover so Yedlin had denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
“Late in the second half, Boly caught Ayoze Perez in the face with his arm as he jumped for a header. It was not a deliberate attempt to elbow the striker. Boly was jumping naturally for the ball and Dean – who had a clear view of the incident – was right not to punish the defender.”
OPINION
It is not surprising to see Clattenburg back Dean with both decisions during Newcastle v Wolves, with referees tending to back each other in these situations. That being said, Clattenburg does look to have a point. There is an argument that Lascelles may have got across to cover for Yedlin after his error, but Jota’s pace and proximity to the goal make that a marginal call, and he would likely have got a shot off, meaning it was a clear goalscoring opportunity. With regards to the other incident, Dean did have a clear view of the alleged offence, and Boly did look to be jumping naturally despite the elbow. Either incident could have gone the other way, and it was just Newcastle’s luck on Sunday that they both went against them. This was a disappointing loss for the Magpies, who need to be climbing the table soon to avoid a relegation dogfight.