Piers Morgan has lashed out at Michael Oliver for Leandro Trossard’s red card that ‘wrecked’ Man City Vs Arsenal Premier League match.
Arsenal nearly pulled a historic upset at Etihad when they came from a goal down to lead Manchester City in Premier League matchday five clash at Etihad on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
Erling Haaland gave Manchester City the lead, firing a pinpoint pass from Savinho past David Raya in the 9th minute.
Arsenal mounted a quick and formidable response 13 minutes later. A new signing from Bologna, Riccardo Calafiori, scored a beautiful solo goal from outside the box to level the score.
The first half nearly ended in a 1-1 draw before Gabriel Magalhaes scored a brilliant header from Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner-kick in the additional first minute of the first half.
Two minutes later, the remarkable turnaround was marred by a dramatic red card decision against the away side. Midfielder Leandro Trossard saw his second yellow card after he appeared to kick the ball following a charge on Bernardo Silva.
He was booked initially for a similar incident after a foul on Savinho. His red card saw Arsenal down to 10 men with Manchester City effectively leveraging on the advantage to dominate the game in the second half.
In a sheer show of determination, Arsenal nearly ran out with a 2-1 victory despite playing over 45 minutes with 10 men.
It took Manchester City the last touch of the game to finally find a leveler with substitute John Stones tucking home a deflection into the back of the net to make it 2-2 at the death.
Piers Morgan blasts Micheal Oliver for Leandro Trossard’s Red card
Meanwhile, Leandro Trossard’s red card continued to stoke reactions after the game, especially among Arsenal fans.
Arsenal top fan and journalist Piers Morgan, 59, joined forces with disgruntled Arsenal fans to voice out his displeasure on Leandro Trossard’s red card. According to him, Oliver ruined the game by the red card decision, twisting it, and giving City an undue advantage.
“The so-called ‘best referee in the Premier League’ ruined a thrilling football match by sacrificing it to pedantic nonsense. Thanks, Mr. Oliver!” He wrote in X.
It is the second time in a few weeks that Piers Morgan has battled Premier League referees for living below expectations. In August 2024, Morgan was again on his nerves after Chris Kavanagh decided to send off Declan Rice for delaying play during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brighton in the Premier League.
Was Leandro Trossard’s red card a just call?
Referee Michael Oliver’s decision to send off Leandro Trossard has been a subject of intense controversy. While Trossard’s demeanor was unnecessary having been booked earlier in the game, some fans believe the red card wasn’t necessary after all.
Note that Michael Oliver did not send off the Belgian because of the foul but for attempting to delay play by kicking the ball after committing a foul. However, the likes of Morgan believe Oliver’s decision was inappropriate.
“It is not my job to come here and judged what happened,” – Mikel Arteta reacts to Leandro Trossard’s Red card
Mikel Arteta faulted Michael Oliver on Leandro Trossard’s red card but stylishly avoided scrutiny when he said it is not his role to judge the official.
According to him, Jeremy Doku should have also gotten booked for a similar offence in the match but Oliver seemed to overlook it.
“Anyone has played football [can see] it’s less than a second. Less than a second. The previous one [Doku] is more than a second. That’s it, simple,” he said.
“It’s not my job to come here and judge what happened. My job is to survive in the most difficult environment in football for 55 minutes. To get things done to survive. That’s my job, the rest is not my job,” he added.
Leandro Trossard is expected to miss Arsenal’s next Premier League clash against Leicester City at home due to the card. However, he will be in contention to return to the lineup in midweek EFL Cup third-round clash against Bolton on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
