Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has claimed that the penalty incident involving Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva in the game with Burnley is open to debate.
During the first half of City's 3-0 win, Silva was awarded a spot kick after being brought down by Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope, but there have been calls for the Portuguese international to receive a retrospective ban after the former Monaco man appeared to exaggerate his fall.
The subsequent penalty was netted by Sergio Aguero, but Gallagher has suggested that he would not have given a foul at the Etihad Stadium.
Gallagher told Sky Sports News: "I didn't think it was a penalty at the time. I can understand why the referee gave it, but the thing which would have swung me is when you see a player, with such minimal contact, I wonder why he goes through the air so fast.
"You see the replay and his knee catches the top of his foot, and the referee will say that he has caught him and brought him down. On another day, it might not have been.
"If you put 20 people in a room, you would get 10 people say no and 10 people say yes. That's the kind of decision it was."
Silva - who was making just his second Premier League start - has denied claims that he dived in order to win a penalty.
Darren Plant
