Manchester United has been informed that they were unfortunate not to face a team reduced to ten players during their 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Sunday.
An incident in the second half involving Alejandro Garnacho and Arsenal’s makeshift center-forward Mikel Merino initially appeared to be harmless, although it resulted in United’s young Argentine winger being left on the ground.
However, following a tussle for possession between Merino and Casemiro, replays indicated that the Euro 2024 winner had stepped on the back of Garnacho’s leg.
While similar actions have resulted in red cards for other players, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher acknowledged that, despite its severity, it did not merit a sending off.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, he said: “I think the referee, if he is going to give anything, would be a yellow card.
“It doesn’t look good but I don’t think it is a red card. You see Casemiro gives him a kick as well, so he gets booted by two players.
“It is unfortunate that the ball gets tangled up but sometimes it is almost best for the referee in that situation [to let play continue]. What does help Garnacho is that Merino stands on his boot and not his ankle.”
Arsenal also believed they deserved a penalty when pushing for a goal after Ayden Heaven’s arm made contact with the ball in the box. However, Gallagher dismissed these claims.
“He heads it onto his own arm and then goes to clear the ball but not a penalty, it can’t be given for that,” he insisted.
“Nobody will give a penalty for that.”
Leave a Reply