Thomas Frank was very angry with the decision that allowed Arsenal matchwinner Kai Havertz to avoid a red card in Brentford’s defeat at the Emirates Stadium.
The Bees seemed to be on track to secure an important point in their fight to avoid relegation when Yoane Wissa took advantage of an Aaron Ramsdale mistake and equalized Declan Rice’s opener.
Havertz, however, saved his team with a late header that temporarily put the Gunners at the top of the table ahead of the heavyweight clash between Liverpool and Manchester City on Sunday.
The Brentford boss believed Havertz was fortunate to still be in the game for the critical moment after avoiding a second yellow card for what seemed to be a clear dive when he fell under the challenge of Nathan Collins while seeking a second half penalty.
‘I’m very proud of the team and the players,’ said Frank. ‘We came to Arsenal, who have scored 100 goals in I don’t know how many games, and we contained them. It was almost a defensive masterclass.
‘The performance was excellent. Even more impressive considering Arsenal’s form, our form, and our injury situation. I actually don’t think Havertz should have been on the pitch when he scored. It was a clear dive. Maybe it is difficult for the referee, but the linesman should have seen it.’
In a subsequent BBC interview, he added: ‘They [the players] were very angry because they felt they were harshly treated with the penalty claim involving Havertz. You can see the angles, it was clearly a dive. That should have been a second yellow card, and then it would have been 11 versus 10.’
Havertz, on the other hand, has now scored in four consecutive games for Arsenal, a feat he never achieved during his time at Chelsea, and the Germany international was delighted to have played such a significant role in a huge win.
he said: ‘Massive win for us. These points were crucial for us, and you could see that in the second half. We didn’t play our best in the first half, but it’s even better to win it this way.
‘It’s always nice to have three points secured. We discussed this a lot in the dressing room. We want to focus on ourselves because we cannot change what the other teams are doing. We go into the other competitions during the week, and hopefully, it’s a good night for us.
‘It wasn’t pleasant, especially after conceding so close to the final whistle. We spoke to each other and wanted to turn it around. Mistakes are part of the game. I have made mistakes that led to goals. We showed a good mentality from the first second of the second half.’
