Mike Dean has praised Anthony Taylor for his officiating following controversy in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
The match sparked into life with the controversial decision to disallow Phil Foden's second-half goal, with Erling Haaland deemed to have fouled Fabinho in the build-up to the goal. This was a topic which was intensely debated in the aftermath, with many claiming that the goal should have stood.
However, the goal was chalked off, with Haaland seen to have had a hold of the Liverpool midfielder's shirt. Both Bernardo Silva and Pep Guardiola were critical of the decision in the wake of the match, claiming that more consistency is needed with such decisions.
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However, Dean has praised Taylor in his Daily Mail column, revealing that he plans to contact Taylor to congratulate him on his display.
"I didn't want to disturb Anthony Taylor so soon after his game on Sunday night but once he's had time to digest it all, I'll be messaging Tayls to congratulate him on putting in a superb performance at Anfield," he wrote. "His approach to refereeing this high-pressure Premier League match only added to the spectacle.
"He let the game flow by waving away the soft fouls and penalising the ones that clearly overstepped the mark. It was the same for both Liverpool and Manchester City and it made for the physical battle we like to see in the Premier League.
"VAR Darren England did his job, too, including requesting that Tayls should review a possible foul at the pitchside monitor, which led to disallowing City's would-be opener by Phil Foden. Tayls couldn't see the shirt pull by Haaland on Fabinho from his position – but VAR could.
"It was a clear foul for me which left the Liverpool man on the ground, and it's important to remember that Fabinho would have been the one tracking City's striker as he made his way into the box. Haaland's foul, therefore, had a direct impact on how this attacking phase played out. He won the ball and then Phil Foden scored."
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