When Beth Mead went off with a head injury on Wednesday night against Ajax, Arsenal thought they should have been allowed to use a concussion sub but the referee said ‘no’.
Arsenal beat Ajax 1-0 on Wednesday night to seal a 3-2 win on aggregate and a place in the Champions League proper.
Vivianne Miedema gave the Gunners the lead in the 51st minute when she struck from range.
Big game player. pic.twitter.com/zVLqxPABVx
— AWFCLIPS (@awfclips) September 28, 2022
Beth Mead, who had started the game on the bench, was introduced in the 67th minute but wasn’t on the pitch long before she was injured.
Rising to head the ball, the Ajax player missed it completely and headed Mead’s cheek instead. It was a powerful impact that left the Arsenal player in a tears and a lot of pain.
Really hope we never get to play Ajax again any time soon. pic.twitter.com/57d3G4kFQm
— AWFCLIPS (@awfclips) September 28, 2022
By that stage, Arsenal had used all their substitution windows but this was a head injury. As such, Jonas Eidevall confirmed with the fourth official that they could bring on a player to replaced Mead and Lina Hurtig was readied.
As we waited for her to come on, we were confused to see her sit back down again and Arsenal have to see out the game with only 10 on the pitch.
“The problem that I have is that I asked the fourth official if we can do a concussion sub and she says ‘yes,’” Eidevall said after the game.
“Then when we are preparing Lina [Hurtig] and when we are about to do it she says ‘no.’ That misinformation from the referee, I don’t understand it.”
He also said the fourth official initially said Arsenal could bring on Lina Hurtig as a concussion sub for Beth Mead and then changed her mind (concussion subs are no longer protocol apparently).
— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) September 28, 2022
That wasn’t the only problem on the night.
When Arsenal arrived, the goals were SMALLER than regulation size, something I’ve never seen in football at any level in 40+ years.
“It has been a weird experience coming here and playing a big club like Ajax and we have to measure the goals and it turned out they were 10cm too small,” Eidevall told reporters.
“I have never experienced anything like it.”
Arsenal will be in Pot 2 for the Champions League group stage draw which will take place on Monday 3 October.