Manchester City faced a ten-man Arsenal side for the second half due to a Leandro Trossard red card in the first half. Subsequently, the second half felt more like a City training session than a competitive soccer match. Mikel Arteta tasked his players with defending their box diligently for as long as they could.
It was not until the final set-piece of the game that City took advantage of a momentary lapse in the concentration of the Arsenal players. A shot from Mateo Kovacic ricocheted into the six-yard box and, where an unmarked John Stones easily tapped the ball in.
City once again sit atop the Premier League table, two points ahead of the Gunners. The most notable takeaway from the game, however, will be the sending-off of Trossard. It is yet another weekend where the consistency of the officials is put into question.
Another blunder from a Premier League referee?
Immediately after leaving the pitch, ambiguity surrounded Trossard’s red card. The Belgian international had already been booked earlier in the first half. The incident that got him sent off was not necessarily because of any harmful play either.
The official Premier League Match Center X account posted that referee Michael Oliver sent Trossard off for “delaying the restart”. This explanation applies to when Trossard hastily booted the ball in the air after conceding the foul. In this context, it appears that the referee is simply following the letter of the law.
Alternatively, there is an argument to be made about the careless inconsistencies shown by Premier League officials every week. An example exists in this same game. Jeremy Doku also delayed the restart of the game in an unrelated incident but did not see a card.
Many fans will also look back to a year ago when fans deemed Kovacic fortunate to remain on the pitch. Michael Oliver officiated that fixture, as well as the game today. After the game, PGMOL chief Howard Webb admitted that Kovacic was “extremely…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/manchester-city-escapes-with-a-point-against-ten-man-arsenal/
Author : Ian Mahop
Publish date : 2024-09-22 23:48:37
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