Paul Lambert would be prepared to consider the idea of extra officials operating in the Premier League.

The City boss admitted yesterday adopting the same number of referees officiating Champions League and Europa League ties was a worthwhile debating topic following Norwich's rough justice against West Brom last weekend.

The Canaries were denied a clear cut penalty in the closing stages of City's 1-0 defeat when James Vaughan was poleaxed by Gabriel Tamas inside the Baggies' box.

Tamas was retrospectively hit with a three-game FA ban for violent conduct, whilst match official Mark Halsey confirmed he would have shown a red card if he had seen the incident in real-time.

The top tier European club competitions now have an additional referee stationed on the byline at either end – a situation which might have led to a different outcome at Carrow Road.

'If you are talking about the lads behind the goals like in Europe, listen, if somebody had been in that position and missed that incident then you think there was something seriously wrong. There is probably a case for it,' said Lambert.

'You've got four at the minute. I know the speed of the game is really quick but I just think in the big moments in the big games you have to get more right than wrong.

'It's just really unfortunate for us that everybody missed it.'

Lambert yesterday declared the Tamas chapter closed with the centre back banned for Albion's next three games.

'It was there for everybody to see. I am not going to get caught in a slagging match with West Brom,' he said. 'It's happened. I know what has since happened to the lad but it still doesn't help us. We are not going to get a penalty for it but that is the referee's call. My opinion was the officials never saw it on the day. It would certainly have given us an opportunity on the day if we had been given a penalty, but you can't turn the clock back. It's happened. We never got the decision.'