Referees are simply part of the play and they are always going to get in the way from time to time, but there’s something different about it when Mike Dean is involved.
Dean is a ref who always wants to be centre of attention so you can imagine that he lives for moments like this, and he even looks annoyed at the Arsenal player for hitting him with the ball:
Pictures courtesy of Astro Supersport 3
It’s a very promising counter attack from Arsenal as they have an overload on that side, and Dean has plenty of time to get out of the way of this.
You can see that Kieran Tierney is furious with him on the far side, and the consolation prize of an indirect free kick definitely favours Man United in this situation.
It’s also led to some predictable reaction on Twitter from the various sides, but there are a few who seem to think Dean has done more than certain United players in this game now:
Mike Dean breaking up play better than Pogba
— ?Niall ? (@NVero99) November 1, 2020
Mike dean is clearly our best defender.
— Ez? (@Utd_Ezzy) November 1, 2020
Mike Dean is doing a better job at intercepting than the United midfielders.
— Jonny Ross (@thejonnyross) November 1, 2020
Did…. did Mike Dean just break up an Arsenal counter ??? Looks like @ManUtd finally found a successor to Owen Hargreaves ? #MUNARS @Arsenal
— Ashish Bosco (@ashishnb12) November 1, 2020
Mike Dean has done better defensively than McTominay ???
— Ok pal ?? (@RonaIdoism) November 1, 2020
Mike dean has more interceptions than Paul so far
— ‘Layi (@lilestdrop) November 1, 2020
While Man U did play like they had lead shoes on, mostly, if Dean had called a straight game, Arsenal would have been down to 9 men by halfway through the 2nd half. Between him just letting Holden’s two blatant fouls go (along with Gabriel’s and nearly every other one he could get away with letting go). What the hell is up with that? He’s my candidate for the worst Prem ref in history.