Arsenal all-but ended their bid to become Premier League champions for the first time in 12 years this weekend, dropping to 13 points behind with only six matches remaining. The weekend was not as clear-cut as it seemed however, with a number of refereeing decisions affecting their disappointing weekend.
West Ham’s hero of the weekend Andrew Carroll, who scored an emphatic hat-trick at Upton Park, is adjudged to have been lucky to have been on the pitch to bag any of those strikes. Former professional ref Dermot Gallagher claims he should have been given a second booking for his clash with Gabriel, where he elbowed the defender in the face, and should have been sent to the stands.
The 58 year-old former official said: “Carroll is lucky here. There were a number of incidents where people were saying he could have been sent off. Of all of those incidents this was the one, he would have had no arguments. This is not a red card offence but it was reckless and Carroll took a big chance doing what he did. His eyes were on the ball though, so that is what went in his favour. Despite that, he was lucky because he took a big risk while on a yellow card in a game of that nature. However, it proved to be a risk worth taking.”
This wasn’t the only clash to go unpunished for the English forward, and he ends up leaving the stadium with the matchday ball.
It wasn’t the only decision to go against us however, with West Bromwich Albion also denied a penalty against Manchester City, in the match that ended up being 2-1 to fourth-placed City.
Gallagher claimed that Sky Blues’ defender Mangala goes through Sandro in the box in order to stop the incoming cross from Sessegnon, and should have been punished with a penalty kick.
The referee added: “Mangala goes through the back of Sandro. Mangala can’t play the ball. At some point during a game there are situations where players cannot win the ball, and this was one of those for Mangala. He has had to go through the player and I think that is a penalty.”
Sometimes it just isn’t meant to be, and for those who say that the decisions tend to equal themselves out throughout a season, should take a hard look at Leicester’s favouring this year.
With a fair share of the penalties and decisions, how much closer to the top do you think we’d be?