Arsenal have received an ‘unfair’ verdict on William Saliba red card against Bournemouth which could affect the player’s participation in the UCL against Shaktar on Tuesday evening
Arsenal receive verdict on William Saliba red card against Bournemouth
Arsenal have received verdict from the PGMOL following the controversial red card against Bournemouth on Saturday
Arsenal defender William Saliba was shown a red card in a controversial decision during their match against Bournemouth, a call that has split opinions among refereeing experts. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has backed the red card, while his colleague Mark Halsey believes the VAR intervention was unnecessary.
The incident occurred when Arsenal, already down to 10 men for the third time this season, saw Saliba dismissed in the second half. Referee Rob Jones initially issued a yellow card after Saliba fouled Bournemouth’s striker Evanilson, who was far from the goal. However, after a VAR review at the recommendation of assistants at Stockley Park, the decision was upgraded to a red card, leaving the Arsenal camp frustrated.
The red card came in a match that saw the Gunners suffer a 2-0 defeat, with goals from Cyrus Christie and Justin Kluivert sealing the victory for Bournemouth. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left ruing another match where his side finished with 10 men and came away without any points.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb was in attendance at the Vitality Stadium and became the target of angry chants from Arsenal supporters after the decision.
Gallagher, speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, was adamant that the red card was justified. He pointed out that Saliba’s foul left Evanilson in a position where he was likely to gain control of the ball, noting that Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had retreated from his starting position, making it harder for him to intervene
the other hand, Halsey, writing in The Sun, disagreed with the decision, stating that VAR didn’t need to get involved. He argued that the distance between the foul and the goal, as well as the trajectory of the ball, made it less clear that a goal-scoring opportunity was denied.
The controversy around Saliba’s dismissal was further fuelled by a similar incident in the Chelsea vs Liverpool match, where Chelsea’s Tosin Adarabioyo was allowed to stay on the pitch after a comparable foul. Gallagher explained that the difference in the two situations lay in the direction of play and the positioning of defenders, which worked in Adarabioyo’s favour.
Additionally, Gallagher supported the decision to award Bournemouth a penalty in the game, which all but ended Arsenal’s hopes of a comeback. He acknowledged that while Raya attempted to play the ball, he missed, and a yellow card was the appropriate punishment under the “double jeopardy” rule.
