The Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday took a dramatic turn when Leandro Trossard was shown a red card. Just before half-time, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva was fouled in midfield. Trossard, already on a yellow card, reacted by kicking the ball away, prompting referee Michael Oliver to issue a second yellow card, sending him off the pitch.
The decision left Arsenal players visibly shocked, with manager Mikel Arteta expressing his disbelief by covering his head with his jumper. The Gunners, who had been trailing 1-0, were forced to play with ten men for the remainder of the match. However, they rallied back to secure a remarkable 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes.
This red card incident follows a pattern of frustration for Arteta regarding refereeing decisions this season. Earlier, Declan Rice received a red card against Brighton and Hove Albion for delaying the restart, a call that Arteta found baffling. In his post-match press conference, Arteta voiced his disappointment with the inconsistency in refereeing decisions. He stated, “I was amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be.”
Arteta highlighted the inconsistency in the application of the rules, pointing out that Rice was given a red card for touching the ball after being fouled, while other incidents in the first half went unpunished. The red card incident further intensified the drama in a match that saw Arsenal fight back from a goal down to secure a crucial win.
