Third time this season in just 8 games we have seen a player sent off in the first 50 minutes of a game. A terrible mistake by Trossard put Saliba in a hole and that was pretty much game over for us.
Sadly injuries have caught up with us. A tired performance with a number of players missing and a number in the team nursing injuries - including a first start for Merino while Ben White returned. It meant no Saka and Martinelli not judged to be fit enough to start after both picked up injuries representing their country.
No-one really stood-out for having a good game and Raya was very nervy for some reason.
On the red, it was a subjective call with as much in favour of a yellow as to a red. Why didn't the ref give a red straight away? He had a clear view of the incident, he can see everyone relevant to the decision.
We were told pre-season VAR would not re-ref games and there was a high bar set. The ref had a clear view of the incident and there was nothing out of the ordinary in the situation to mean the VAR should intervene. We were told the on-field decision is "critical" and that:
"The referee’s call should stand unless the VAR, based on readily available evidence, can see without doubt the on-pitch official has made a clear mistake. In the absence of that clear evidence, the referee’s call will stand."
Howard Webb has gone to great lengths to impose this idea in his many celebrity appearances. How can there be clear evidence the yellow was not sufficient? No matter how many replays there will still be arguments either way based on law 12 and the training refs receive.
Webbs love for the limelight will lead to many conspiracy theories after he was shown with an earpiece and talking to someone as the VAR call was being made.
It wouldn't be an Arsenal title winning season without discipline issues.
First half red = dropped points... again.
posted 3 hours, 35 minutes ago
What the hell was that penalty decision he pushed the ball miles away from himself and collided with Raya, where was Raya supposed to go?
posted 3 hours, 35 minutes ago
spot on imo and it was still the refs decision in the end he just got another look at it with multiple angles of player positions and ball direction... Bournemouth are hard done to and can argue VAR isnt doing its job if the ref isnt given another look at it after only a yellow.
posted 3 hours, 33 minutes ago
comment by You Can't Buy Class ¯\_/^v^\_/¯ (U12019)
posted 21 seconds ago
What the hell was that penalty decision he pushed the ball miles away from himself and collided with Raya, where was Raya supposed to go?
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I remember DJ one international tourn being adamant its a pen if a gk comes out and stops standing still and the opp knocks the ball past him and runs/jumps into him.
So im expecting DJ thinks it was a stonewall pen today.
posted 3 hours, 28 minutes ago
It was a stonewall penalty. Same as Ederson vs Gordon. Same as Neuer vs Sak.... oh, forget that last one...
But, yeah, any striker will take the contact and go down. If the 'keeper doesn't get the ball then there is little option but to give a penalty.
posted 3 hours, 27 minutes ago
still the refs decision in the end he just got another look at it with multiple angles of player positions and ball direction...
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Goes against everything Webb and Tony Scholes have been preaching.
posted 3 hours, 22 minutes ago
Just looked like Raya came out then stopped and then Evanilson made the contact, he'd pushed the ball way out of his zone of ball control.
posted 3 hours, 21 minutes ago
Didn't get a good look of it live, was just the final replay they showed on Sky during the analysis that looked dodgy, maybe because of the angle.
posted 1 hour ago
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 2 hours, 23 minutes ago
It was a stonewall penalty. Same as Ederson vs Gordon. Same as Neuer vs Sak.... oh, forget that last one...
But, yeah, any striker will take the contact and go down. If the 'keeper doesn't get the ball then there is little option but to give a penalty.
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Neuer v Saka, yeah, forgot about that, aye, same BS, again, have 5 stars. Probably was a yellow, it’s not a red, see you soon, take it steady
posted 35 minutes ago
comment by You Can't Buy Class ¯\_/^v^\_/¯ (U12019)
posted 2 hours, 59 minutes ago
What the hell was that penalty decision he pushed the ball miles away from himself and collided with Raya, where was Raya supposed to go?
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It was a stonewall penalty