Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher asserts Kai Havertz did not merit being sent off for a second bookable offense in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Brentford.
The Gunners seemed like they would lose two important points in the title race before Havertz stepped in with a powerful 86th minute header that sent Mikel Arteta’s team, temporarily at least, back to the top of the table.
While Brentford had no complaints about Havertz’s goal being fair, Bees boss Thomas Frank believed the Germany international should have been given a red card earlier in the second half.
Already on a yellow card, Havertz fell to the ground in the 65th minute trying to get a penalty after a challenge from Nathan Collins.
Replays indicated there was minimal contact, and Frank later accused the former Chelsea star of diving.
He said: ‘They [the players] were very angry because they felt they were treated unfairly with the penalty appeal involving Havertz. You can see the angles, it was clearly a dive. That was a second yellow and then it is 11 v 10.’
Gallagher, however, was firm that match official Rob Jones made the right decision to be somewhat lenient, while confirming it is not the responsibility of VAR to get involved in this specific situation.
Gallagher informed Premier League Productions: ‘If you imagine the referee decides to give a yellow card and VAR doesn’t think it is, we’re talking about can the VAR intervene on second yellow cards. Well we all know it’s about direct red cards.
‘For me, there is some contact and that’s what saves him really. It’s not the best thing to do in the world, especially when you’re on a yellow card.
‘If you look where the referee is, he sees the tackle go in from Collins and sees the ball go to the right.
‘The clue for the referee is where the ball travels and the ball travels away from Havertz, so the referee will think in his mind from his position he will see the ball go there and think Collins has played the ball which is why he doesn’t give a foul.
‘He’ll say no foul, no dive. I think the referee goes dive he’s got to be absolutely sure because it’s a red card.
‘If you’re going to send somebody off for a dive you want where there’s clearly no contact where he’s thrown himself to the ground.
