Richard Keys tears into ‘petrified’ refs after Ruben Dias flashpoint in Man City’s win at Forest
Richard Keys has let fly again, claiming Premier League referees are scared stiff of properly penalising Manchester City after Ruben Dias avoided a second yellow in the champions’ 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest. The beIN Sports presenter has doubled down on social media and in his column, insisting officials are overawed by City and too reluctant to show the big calls the courage they demand.
The flashpoint: Dias on Igor Jesus
Dias, already booked in the first half, halted Igor Jesus early after the break at the City Ground. Referee Rob Jones whistled for a foul but kept the cards in his pocket, prompting fury from the Forest bench and plenty of post-match debate. On the balance of probabilities and given the context, that looked every inch a second bookable offence—Dias knew what he was doing and Forest were breaking.
Keys doubles down: ‘dark arts’ and VAR frustration
Keys backed the complaints in real time on X and went further in his latest column, branding Guardiola’s sides “masters of the dark arts” and arguing that too many referees freeze when City are involved. He also railed at the build-up to the winning goal, asking where VAR was when an offence might have been missed. He even referenced City’s long-running Premier League charge sheet while contrasting it with Everton’s points deduction—provocative, pointed, and very much on brand for Keys.
Dermot Gallagher’s verdict
On Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, former referee Dermot Gallagher sided with Sean Dyche’s frustration, saying he had sympathy and that Dias should have received a second yellow. In short: a promising attack stopped, the player brought down—textbook caution.
My take: laws, courage, and consistency
Strip away the noise and you land on two truths. First, if Jones reads that intervention as stopping a promising attack, the law expects a caution—yellow number two. Second, VAR can’t rescue a referee on second yellows; it’s only for straight reds. So the Dias call was always on Jones. The separate gripe about the winning goal is a different matter—VAR can check fouls in the attacking phase, and if there’s a clear error there, it should step in. Consistency is king, and in a game involving City’s clever, tactical fouling, officials have to be brave enough to match the tempo with their cards.
Rooney and the wider debate
Wayne Rooney has also had his say, adding another layer to a debate that won’t go away: are referees managing City’s game-craft firmly enough, or are they getting swept along by the champions’ rhythm? It’s a fair question—and one the PGMOL will quietly pick over.
What next?
City left the East Midlands with three points, Forest with frustration, and the rest of us with another refereeing talking point. Expect more noise this week, perhaps a quiet word behind the scenes, and a renewed spotlight on game management when the title holders play next. If you fancy a flutter on where the narrative heads from here, have a look at best betting sites—but whatever your angle, the message for officials is simple: read the moments, apply the law, and don’t bottle the big ones.
