Referee Michael Oliver made the correct decision in sending off Leandro Trossard during Arsenal’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester City, according to the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel.
Trossard was shown a red card in first-half injury time after kicking the ball away following a foul on Bernardo Silva. This was the second time Arsenal had a player sent off for delaying the restart this month, with Declan Rice receiving a similar dismissal in the 1-1 draw against Brighton.
The panel, which reviews significant refereeing decisions weekly, stated: “Trossard clearly delays the restart by kicking the ball away.” However, the decision was not unanimous, with one panelist believing that the “split-second nature of the kick away” could have been a mitigating factor.
At the time of the incident, Arsenal were leading 2-1, but John Stones salvaged a point for Manchester City with a goal in the 98th minute, moving City back to the top of the Premier League.
Martinez decision backed despite ‘ridiculous’ tackle
The Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel, which operates independently and consists of three former players or coaches, a Premier League representative, and one member from the referees’ body, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has confirmed several decisions from the recent round of Premier League games.
In addition to backing the sending off of Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard, the panel agreed that referee David Coote made the correct call in not sending off Manchester United’s Lisandro Martínez. Martínez was shown a yellow card for his challenge on Daichi Kamada during Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace.
Although the defender left the ground with both feet, VAR official Chris Kavanagh reviewed the tackle but did not recommend Coote to consult the pitchside monitor. The panel unanimously supported both the on-field and VAR decisions with a 5-0 vote, as reported by BBC Sport.
“The action viewed in isolation is a ridiculous challenge. Martinez is so fortunate that he doesn’t contact Kamada,” the panel wrote.
But the panel agreed the on-field decision was correct “on the basis that the action by Martinez had been completed and no contact was made”, yet it felt “the challenge has no place on the pitch”.
Gibbs-White sending off splits panel
The decision to send off Morgan Gibbs-White during Nottingham Forest’s 2-2 draw with Brighton was contentious, with the Key Match Incidents panel divided 3-2.
Referee Robert Jones issued a second yellow card to Gibbs-White for an 83rd-minute challenge on João Pedro, but the majority of the panel believed this was the wrong call, arguing the foul didn’t meet the threshold for a second caution.
However, two panellists felt that the “intensity of the challenge” made it reckless and deserving of a yellow card. Gibbs-White has since been charged by the FA for his reaction to the dismissal.
The panel was also split 3-2 regarding a decision not to award West Ham a penalty in their 3-0 loss to Chelsea. Wesley Fofana’s 28th-minute tackle on Crysencio Summerville, with the Hammers already trailing 2-0, went unpunished by referee Samuel Barrott. A majority of the panel felt a penalty should have been awarded for the challenge.
“Summerville’s wrist is held as he gets away from Fofana, and this impacts his progress towards the ball. The holding starts outside the penalty area and continues into it,” the panel wrote.
It was also split on VAR intervention, 4-1, with the majority supporting the referee’s call of no penalty because it was not a clear and obvious error.
A statement from the Premier League Match Centre X account said during the game the incident between Fofana and Summerville did constitute “sustained holding”.