The inconsistency in refereeing decisions is so appalling in our matches this season.
The Gunners got a fantastic point away to Man City last night in what was a modern classic in the premier league era, however I felt gut wrenched by that fact that they could have bagged all three points if they held on for 1 more minute.
Indeed, it was a stoppage time equalizer from John Stones that would see all our hard work in the entirety of the second half come undone. After coming from a goal down to lead the Citizens in the first half, it was a red card (second yellow) to Leandro Trossard that left us with a daunting task in the second half, it has been the second time this season that we’ve seen our player get sent off for delaying play which should be a concern to Mikel Arteta and co.
Looking back at it however, the biggest worry would be the inconsistencies that the referees have shown in the two matches where we’ve seen our player get sent off. Firstly in the Brighton game where we saw Joao Pedro not pick up a yellow, despite booting the ball up the pitch and delaying the restart in the process.
Secondly in the City game we witnessed something very similar to that when City’s Jeremy Doku did the exact same thing without receiving any punishment. This double standard shown against us in these two instances makes us dropping points an even more bitter pill to swallow given how much we were in control at the time of the incidents.
Winning this title will require the fine margins to go in our favor and this inconsistent refereeing will do us no favors one bit. It should be a worry that only our players get to be punished for incidents in a match of this caliber.
I don’t know what to say, I feel cheated, cheated by the referee’s willingness to follow the law to the letter instead of allowing things to slide in matches of this magnitude, the ref ruined the game with that decision, but the boys showed unbelievable grit to take this match to the wire, I couldn’t be so proud!
What did you all make of the Trossard decision?
KENNETH BENJAMIN
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trossards red card is shambolic to say the least if I read his lips properly, he thought the referee was blowing for half time And he would not be the first player to kick ball up the pitch at halftime to towards the opposite goalkeeper, but yet again double standards, poor Refereeing players going down with cramp he telling them to get up off the floor there’s nothing wrong with them What an absolute disgrace and he’s supposed to be the best premiership referee in England if he’s the best I’d hate to see the worst. Football is a game played by 11 aside 11 opponents against each other not 11 opponents plus the referee in arsenal case as we seem to be victimised, week in and week out snf I thought Alex Ferguson has retired from football, but I guess if you’re this referee and you’re refereeing Arsenal you might as well have an hour each way plus whatever feels he needs for Arsenal to either lose or draw but never tge win i would not let him Referee and under 8s match makes you wounder if anyone checking see if he got paid to not let arsenal win as i said before same rubbish week in and week out towards arsenal
“I feel cheated, cheated by the referee’s willingness to follow the law to the letter instead of allowing things to slide in matches of this magnitude.” What would the reaction be, I wonder, if in another key game, Arsenal lost because the referee didn’t follow the law and allow things to “slide”? Everyone would, rightly, be blaming him for not doing so, wouldn’t they?
Arsenal has suffered, rightly or wrongly, twice now because their players kicked the ball away in particular circumstances. Arteta needs to ensure that they don’t get a third dismissal by reading the riot act in six simple words: “Don’t kick the bl*ody ball away”.
Sorry Kenneth, but Doku should not have been punished for following referee Olivers instructions. If you watched the game I’m sure you’d be aware of this.