Safe refereeing in my opinion. There is contact no doubt. There is a slight hold/pull no doubt.
In a less controversial area of the pitch that might not be given, or the defender may not even go down.
It's not really a clear cut foul no foul call. Referee on the day felt it was a foul, so DFK. In either call 11 players would be unhappy and 11 would be happy.
Had the foul not been called the Barnsley manager would be lamenting the referee.
That would be getting given as a foul in almost all professional games. There is an arm on the shoulder, and I think the reaction of the scorer says it all, his team mates are angrier than he is, which possibly hints that he knew he had pulled him.
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