Southampton request Mike Dean and Lee Mason do not referee games after Manchester United loss

Southampton today requested that referees Mike Dean and Lee Mason do not officiate their upcoming fixtures following two matches, against Aston Villa and Manchester United, that were filled with controversial refereeing decisions made by the pair.

Saints will also appeal the red card Dean gave to defender Jan Bednarek in their 9-0 loss to United last night - their second red card of the game.

Mason was the fourth official at Old Trafford and the referee against Villa on Saturday, while Dean was the on-pitch official last night and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) three days earlier.

Bednarek’s red card came after United striker Anthony Martial fell over inside the penalty area with minimal - if any - contact. Dean initially only awarded a penalty, but sent the Poland international off after watching replays on the pitchside monitor.

Even Martial said it wasn’t a foul according to a baffled Bednarek as he made his way down the tunnel.

Already 6-0 and a man down, that penalty decision and subsequent red card led to a further Saints collapse which saw them concede three more goals with just nine men on the pitch.

Che Adams also had a goal controversially disallowed by VAR Graham Scott on Tuesday night.

In the Aston Villa game, Southampton were denied a penalty when Stuart Armstrong’s shot on goal was blocked by the arm of defender Matty Cash. Mason didn’t make a decision about that on the pitch, while VAR Dean deemed the shot had hit Cash’s leg first before being deflected onto his arm.

Fans and pundits criticised these decisions following both matches.

Let’s hope we don’t have to see either Dean or Mason anywhere near this beleaguered Southampton side any time soon, and Bednarek gets his red card rightly rescinded.