The Premier League Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel is in the news once again.
The KMI panel has five members, made up of three former players and/or coaches, plus one representative each from the Premier League and PGMOL.
It was set up at the start of the 2022/23 season to give an independent assessment of decision-making rather than relying on the views of PGMOL or the clubs themselves.
The judgement is intended to provide an arm’s-length assessment of all major match incidents but gives weight to the decision of the referee in subjective situations, taking into account the laws of the game and the Premier League’s interpretation.
Anyway, the Premier League Independent Key Match Incidents Panel are making headlines again, this time regarding incidents in recent matches.
Amongst the latest games/incidents under scrutiny, the Premier League Key Match Incidents Panel have looked at the Arsenal v Newcastle United match that was played on Saturday 25 April.
After that match, Mikel Arteta was claiming Nick Pope should have been shown a straight red card instead of just a yellow for (according to Arteta) denying a goalscoring opportunity. Pope slid and missed the ball out wide next to the side of the pitch, then his hand catching Gyokeres as the Newcastle keeper tries to get his balance.
Mikel Arteta crying: “It’s a clear red card, I have watched it 10 times…If you have ever played football, it is a red card.”
The KMI Panel have ruled unanimously, five votes to none, that on the pitch Referee Sam Barrott was right not to show a red card to Nick Pope, especially due to the fact Malick Thiaw close by.
The Premier League Key Match Incidents panel supported only a yellow card “due to the proximity of the covering defender, the ball was out wide, and the attacker didn’t obviously have control of the ball.”
The panel also backed the VAR on the day, Jarred Gillett, voting 5 v 0 that he was correct in judging there was nothing wrong with the on the pitch referee’s decision.