Manchester United picked up a point in a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League over the weekend. One of the key talking points from the game was the placement of the wall when Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring.
It has since emerged that referee Antony Taylor set the players in the wall back 11.2 yards from the ball, instead of the usual ten. As such, there was just enough space for the Man Utd goalscorer to lift his free-kick high enough over the Arsenal men and into the back of the net.
Even midfielder Christian Eriksen couldn’t help but remark on the referee’s error, noting how his teammates immediately recognised how they could take advantage of it.
On Monday after the event, Sky Sports’ Ref Watch was doing its usual dissection of key officiating moments from the weekend and this controversial incident at Old Trafford was understandably brought up. However, former referee Dermot Gallagher’s take on things has caused a real stir online.
Dermot Gallagher’s Fakes Walking 10 Yards
Was trying to make a point after Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal
In a video which was posted to the Sky Sports Premier League page on X, but has now been deleted, Gallagher was asked to measure out ten yards – presumably to give viewers an idea about how easy a true professional should be able to do the task.
However, eagle-eyed viewers quickly spotted that there was a black mark placed on the studio floor in advance of the act, showing Gallagher exactly where to stop. The whole studio then remarks at the brilliant job the former referee has done, with pundit Sue Smith saying:
Former Referee Gallagher Slammed For What He Did in Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal Analysis
