Official Mike Dean has decided not to take action against Everton’s Ben Godfrey for a stamp to the face on Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.
In real-time, it looked to be accidental, but upon seeing the replay numerous times I’m certain that the action was wholly deliberate.
Tomi ran past the winger, only to be clattered off the pitch, and Godfrey came in afterwards to leave a stud mark in the face of our summer signing, and I’m sure we see Ben look at the Japan international before attempting to appear to look away as he stamped on his man.
Pictures courtesy of Sky Sport
The referee either doesn’t take enough time to look at the incident, or simply didn’t believe it was a clear and obvious deliberation, but both Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher in the Sky Studio agreed that he did in fact mean it.
Patrick
Er, it was an accident..
If Xhaka had committed that foul – any guesses what wouldve been the result from the ref….??
Tomiyasu himself should learn how to get the opposition team to be yellow/red carded because it happened against Man United when he was pulled by Maguire in their own box. Boy seems too disciplined in my opinion
No sane player will do that deliberately.
Truly speaking, it was accidental.
Mike Dean was spot on on this
Tomi paid the price for being a very decent guy whilst others would have made a meal of it.In the heat of battle sanity does not prevail, and while Godfrey is not a hatchet man by nature, he can consider himself very fortunate.