Mikel Arteta has bemoaned the decisions not to send Nick Pope and Abdukodir Khusanov in Arsenal’s last two games against Manchester City and Newcastle United.
Arsenal saw out a 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday, but the scoreline could have been more emphatic if Nick Pope had been shown a red card in the 74th minute.
Pope charged out of his goal and missed the ball, before very deliberately bringing down Viktor Gyokeres to prevent him chasing it.
There was one Newcastle defender in the vicinity, but before Pope’s block it looked like Gyokeres was the closer player and able to reach the ball first. Yet the referee evidently disagreed, only showing a yellow card to Pope, rather than a red for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
“In my opinion, it’s a clear red card,” Arteta said of the incident. “I watched it 10 times. If you have ever played football, it is a red card.
“It’s the second time in two games because against Manchester City when Kai Havertz goes through and Khusanov fouls him at 1-1, the title is there. It is a red card, guys.
“I’m here to give my opinion. I’m someone who has been in the game for a long time, and you talk to any of the players because the trajectory, where the ball is, there’s no keeper there. If that were to happen the other way around, it’s a red card.
“I didn’t talk about it when we lost the game. I’m doing it when we won. It’s a red card today, it’s a red card in Manchester and the world is different. That’s it.”
On the Khusanov one, former referee Keith Hackett had already spoken out in agreement with Arteta’s opinion.
“If Anthony Taylor awarded a free-kick, then there is no doubt in my mind that the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity has clearly taken place, and that would have resulted in a red card for the Manchester City player,” Hackett said.
“On reviewing the video, I think the Manchester City player is rather fortunate not to have been dismissed.”
It’s certainly a shame to have two of these incidents in two consecutive matches, particularly when Arsenal fans will have no trouble calling to mind incidents like William Saliba’s red vs Bournemouth or Myles Lewis-Skelly’s vs West Ham, when the Arsenal player was given no such benefit of the doubt.
Arsenal fans will just have to hope the potential goals and points these red-card decisions cost the team don’t end up affecting the final positions in the standings.