Manchester City vs Arsenal: Why Doku Wasn’t Penalised Yet Trossard Was Sent Off

Manchester City vs Arsenal: Why Doku Wasn’t Penalised Yet Trossard Was Sent Off

  • Manchester City's Premier League game vs Arsenal was littered with a couple of controversial decisions
  • The Gunners were forced to play the second half with 10 men after Leandro Trossard was sent off for two bookable offences
  • Questions have arisen as to why Jeremy Doku wasn't also yellow-carded despite kicking the ball away as well

Manchester City and Arsenal played out to an intriguing two-all draw at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening.

The game was riddled with quality goals, contentious officiating decisions, and high-octane drama from the get-go.

Manchester City vs Arsenal, Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard
Referee Michael Oliver shows Leandro Trossard a red card during Arsenal's game against Manchester City on 22 September 2024. Photo: Carl Recine.
Source: Getty Images

Rodri was taken off after consecutive barges by Kai Havertz, and Thomas Partey ended his involvement prematurely. Erling Haaland's 100th goal in Manchester City colours was cancelled out by a belter of strike from Riccardo Calafiori.

The Gunners then took the lead from another powerful Gabriel Magalhaes header. The game was then turned on its head after Leandro Trossard was sent off for delaying the restart.

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Reactions to the post:

Here are some of the responses from netizens.

@sansaa60:

"Arsenal need to sort out these discipline issues fast. It’s frustrating to see a team with so much talent making the same silly mistakes. Moments like this can completely shift the momentum of a match."

@RichardOnsare1:

He deserved that second yellow card. Michael Oliver was a little bit lenient to Arsenal when they injured Rodri with no card given."

@UTD_Carterx:

"This ref is too inconsistent. It shouldn’t have been a red."

@sansaa60:

"It’s such an avoidable mistake, especially for a team with title ambitions. You can’t afford to be giving away advantages like this."

@bryanbuthelezi:

"It's always going to be tough playing against Man City."

@sansaa60:

"You’d expect them to learn from the first time, especially in high-stakes games."

Why Leandro Trossard was sent off

The Belgian was already walking a tightrope, having been booked in the 34th minute. Just before halftime, he fouled Bernardo Silva before hitting the ball away, which resulted in a second yellow card.

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The decision left a bitter taste in Arsenal fans' mouths after Jeremy Doku had seemingly escaped a booking for a similar offence earlier.

Why Doku wasn't booked vs Arsenal

However, video replays of the Doku incident now show that referee Michael Oliver had signalled where he wanted Arsenal's free-kick to be taken.

Doku is then seen kicking the ball back to where Oliver had pointed, much to the frustration of Arsenal players.

"Michael Oliver was pointing to where the free-kick needed to be taken & he literally kicked it there, so it’s never a yellow," said Sky Sports presenter Olivia Buzaglo.

Arsenal defended bravely with 10 men in the second half but were undone by a late John Stones winner from close range. Mikel Arteta is still awaiting his first win over Manchester City at the Etihad.

Man City star Rodri mocks Arsenal

Briefly News reported that Manchester City star Rodri mocked Arsenal last season after City secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title.

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Manchester City vs Arsenal: Mikel Arteta 'loses his head' after Leandro Trossard's red card

The Spanish midfielder suggested that the Gunners were content with a draw when they played out a 0-0 stalemate at the Etihad.

However, in a twist of fate, Rodri sustained an injury when the two teams faced off again on Sunday, 22 September.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke

Authors:
Justin Williams avatar

Justin Williams (Editor) Justin Williams is a multimedia journalist who recently completed his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Film & Multimedia Production and English Literary Studies from the University of Cape Town. He is a former writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa: South African chapter. You can contact Justin at justin.williams@briefly.co.za