FORMER Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has explained why Leandro Trossard was sent off and Jeremy Doku went unpunished in Manchester City’s thrilling draw with Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s men played all of the second half with ten men after Trossard received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away following a foul on Bernardo Silva.
Gunners boss Arteta was visibly distraught about the decision on the touchline but restrained his comments after the game to avoid “big trouble”.
It comes after Declan Rice was also dismissed for kicking the ball away against Brighton earlier this season.
He said: “I’ve seen it and it’s that obvious so I’ll leave it to you guys.
“I was already in big trouble trying to solve what happened on the pitch. It’s not my problem to solve what happens off the pitch.”
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He was also furious because Man City winger Doku had avoided a caution in the first half when he appeared to kick the ball away before an Arsenal free-kick.
Arteta added: “That’s what I’m saying. It’s that obvious [the Doku incident] that it’s not necessary to comment on it.
“It’s the second time. I’m expecting 100 Premier League games to be 10 against 11 or nine vs 10 this season. Let’s see.”
However, Gallagher, who refereed in the Premier League for 15 years from 1992 to 2007, does not feel the two incidents were the same.
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We thought games like this had been lost
SunSport’s NEIL CUSTIS hails chaotic Man City vs Arsenal clash as a return to the Premier League of yesteryear.
FOR two teams who have done so much to take the game forward this really was a tremendous throwback.
We thought these games had been lost.
Real feisty encounters between two rivals fighting for the top honours.
How we used to love it when Manchester United came up against Arsenal when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger were in charge.
When Roy Keane, watching on as a TV pundit here, used to clash with Patrick Vieira before a ball had been kicked.
The Manchester derbies used to have it as well.
In fact that were clashes everywhere throughout the league.
Since then the emphasis on the beauty of the game, the tactical side, the ball playing centre-back, the false nine, the inverted full-backs have all come to the fore.
But English football still loves something like this.
Compare this to the two matches between this pair last season not least the really STALEmate here.
Then along comes a blood and thunder classic.
A match to set the tone for what we all hope will be a real title tussle to the end but with that added edge.
While these two managers maybe good friends who knows we may even get the niggly comments in pre-match press conferences about each others teams.
We knew we were in for something a bit different as straight from the kick-off Kai Havertz charged into Rodri and left him flawed.
The first players’ melee ensued.
Foreign coaches often scratch their heads as to why English crowds love stuff like this.
Love a thumping tackle, or a bit of a barney.
How that as much as any sweeping move gets them to the edge of their seats and there was plenty of that here.
Jurrien Timber was employed on the right to combat the pace of Jeremy Doku.
SO Doku just charged into him and floored him.
Rodri was clearly seen as one of City’s key men so at a corner Thoams Party followed up Havertz’s early example and caught him behind the knee, and the player hobbled out of the action.
Gabriel and Erling Haaland was a classic battle between a big centre-forward and an Arsenal centre-back who performs like greats of old like Tony Adams and Martin Keown.
A player for whom a thumping tackle warrants the same high fives or celebrations as something defining at the other end of the pitch.
Haaland did brilliantly to pull away William Saliba and slip behind Gabriel for his goal.
Gabriel will have been fuming having kept the big Norwegian so quiet last season.
He barely gave him another sniff of goal, barring a second-half header saved, as he stuck to him, the pair often pushing and shoving one another as Haaland became frustrated with his shadow.
Leandro Trossard did not get his second yellow and therefore the only red for the actual barge on Bernardo as everyone first thought but for kicking the ball away after that.
Both technical areas were a flurry of arm waving and shouting from the two managers.
The staff on the two benches started having a go at each other and Guardiola had to intervene.
In the press box one of Arsenal’s technical staff was losing it.
As Arsenal players went down with cramp and played for time the boos went up.
The fourth official was getting in the ear.
Michael Oliver was being told he was not fit to referee by a large section of the home support.
When Arsenal fans were spotted in the posh seats having been in the expensive tunnel club City fans shouted and pointed to try and get them ejected.
Right at the end after City’s dramatic equaliser and the game restarted Haaland barged into Partey and every player on the pitch got involved even the two goalkeepers.
At the final whistle the ref was harrangued.
On the touchline Guardiola and Arteta hugged.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch about whether Arsenal could have complaints about Trossard’s red card, he said: “Well no because it is a foul no doubt about that.
“And what you would say is would the player have kicked the ball like that if there was no foul and the ball is in play? The answer is no, certainly not, because he is not going to pass to Martinelli like that.
“I feel for him because he has gone to pull out but it is too late, the damage is already done.
“We have already seen it earlier in the season, referees are very hard on it this season. He should know not to do it. The referees have been hard and fast on it.
“There is no doubt you could show me one or two that have got away [with it] but by and large the referees have been very, very strong on it.
“And what I would say is if one player gets away with it then it’s not justification for another player saying ‘I am being punished’.”
Gallagher then detailed the reason Man City’s Doku escaped a yellow card, insisting it was different to when Brighton’s Joao Pedro avoided a caution for kicking the ball away against Arsenal.
He said: “I feel for them with Joao Pedro because I think that was one that got away from them.
“This one, if you look, I don’t think this is kicking the ball away and delaying the restart.
“The free-kick is in the wrong place, you see Michael Oliver looking at him and saying you have got to move it back. Doku actually looks at the referee doesn’t he.
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“If you look, watch Doku here, the ball comes to him, he looks at the ref and then turns back to the Arsenal player to take the free-kick.
“I don’t think that is delaying the restart, it’s passing the ball back. I think there is a massive difference.”
Arsenal ratings vs Man City
TEN-MAN Arsenal came desperately close to beating Man City.
Unfortunately for Mikel Arteta’s men, John Stones popped up in the 98th minute to score an equaliser with the match ending 2-2.
Here’s how the players rated…
DAVID RAYA – 9
Well beaten for Haaland’s opener but continued his impressive start to the season with some super second half stops – notably from Haaland and Gvardiol.
RICARDO CALAFIORI – 8
A full debut the Italian won’t forget. Didn’t get close enough to Savinho for the opening goal but made amends with his stunning long range curler to level it.
GABRIEL – 9
Planted one header over but made no mistake with his second one just before the break to score for the second straight weekend.
WILLIAM SALIBA – 8
Clattered by Haaland early on and lost the Norwegian for City’s goal – but dusted himself down and led the rearguard action for the visitors superbly.
JURRIEN TIMBER – 8
Asked to play an unfamiliar role on the right but did a great job for his boss keeping the livewire Doku quiet – and did fine when Pep changed it around too.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 7
Caused Walker plenty of problems in the first half. Played the ball back for Calafiori to score and teed up another great chance for Trossard.
DECLAN RICE – 7
Helped Arsenal work their way back into the game after early onslaught – and protected the back four so well when City were camped on the edge of the box.
THOMAS PARTEY – 7
Quick thinking from free-kick led to equaliser – also involved in the collision with Rodri that changed the course of the game.
BUKAYO SAKA – 6
Always a threat with his corners – not least when Arsenal got their second. Subbed at the break to make way for an extra defender.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 4
Steered good chance over. Booked for pulling back Savinho then a second yellow for barge on Silva and then delaying the restart. Stupid from the Belgian.
KAI HAVERTZ – 7
Early collision with Rodri and caused a few problems in the first half but then had to focus on helping his 10 man team out defensively.
SUBS
WHITE – 7
(For Saka 46) – Thrown on to shore up the defence at the break – and did exactly that.
KIWIOR – 6
(For Calafiori 74 )– Gave the Italian a rest for the final few minutes and kept it tight.
JESUS – 6
(For Martinelli 87) – Some good pressing against his old team in the closing minutes
LEWIS SKELLY – 6
(For Timber 90) – Good experience for the youngster but was bizarrely booked before even coming on for his debut.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
