Premier League make decision on ref Simon Hooper after costly Man City blunder

04 December 2023 , 11:30

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Premier League make decision on ref Simon Hooper after costly Man City blunder

Referee Simon Hooper is not being stood down by the Premier League, despite attracting controversy for a decision late in Manchester City 's draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Hooper appeared to play advantage following a foul by a Spurs player late on, only to then blow his whistle and pull play back. His decision to blow up meant City were denied a promising attacking opportunity with Jack Grealish breaking clear, and the game ended all-square.

The referee's overall performance was praised by pundits on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday, even though questions were asked of that potentially decisive late call. And now, as reported by Sky Sports, Hooper is not being punished with a demotion for the upcoming round of fixtures.

"The evidence is there for all to see, he should have let play go on," Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester City defender Micah Richards said after the game on Sunday. "You can see on the fourth official's face, he knows the referee has made the mistake. How can you explain it?"

Hooper had previously been announced as the man in the middle for the midweek game between Liverpool and Sheffield United. His decision in the City game has been considered to be human error, and he will remain on duty at Bramall Lane.

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The referee has been at the centre of other controversies earlier this season. He was stood down after failing to award Wolves a late penalty in their defeat against Manchester United in the opening weekend of the season, while he was also the man in the middle during Spurs' victory over Liverpool when VAR drama around Luis Diaz's disallowed goal took centre stage.

What did you make of the late controversy at the Etihad Stadium? Have your say in the comments section

Simon Hooper will take charge of Sheffield United v Liverpool in midweek (Paul Currie/REX/Shutterstock)

After trailing early on to a Son Heung-min goal, Manchester City battled back to lead 2-1 and 3-2 against Ange Postecoglou's side. They weren't able to score a fourth after Dejan Kulusevski's late leveller for Spurs, though, and the spoils were shared.

City boss Pep Guardiola was asked about Sunday's late controversy during his post-match interview with Sky Sports. However, he refused to be drawn into a debate on the incident.

"I will not do a Mikel Arteta comment," Guardiola said. "The referee will now whistle after saying play on, after the pass then whistles. So I don’t know.

"We created a lot of chances, we were aggressive. Football is like life, sometimes you don’t get what you deserve. Congratulations to Spurs for the point. That is football."

Tom Victor