The manager of Arsenal football club, Mikel Arteta is not happy with the decision of Referee Craig Pawson to send off David Luiz during a league match between Arsenal and Wolves.
Arsenal visited Molineux Stadium to play against Wolves on Tuesday, February 2. Mikel Arteta and his boys went into the game with fine form as they recorded 5 unbeaten run after defeating Chelsea 3-1 on December 26, 2020.
On Tuesday when Arsenal met Wolves, it was expected to be an open game that should end in favor of Arsenal or a draw. Unfortunately for Arsenal, Wolves ended the game with a 2-1 win.
In the keenly contested league match, Arsenal displayed better gameplay which earned them the first goal of the match in the 32nd minute through the boots of Nicholas Pepe.
The Smile on Mikel Arteta and his boys didn’t last for too long before the match referee Craig Pawson spotted that Arsenal’s defender David Luiz fouled Wolves’ Willian Jose. The 33-year-old Brazilian defender was shown a red card which left Arsenal with 10-men.
The foul didn’t only earn Luiz a red card, the referee awarded a penalty in favor of Wolves which Ruben Neves converted in the additional 5th minute of the first 45 minutes.
Wolves ended the first half against Arsenal in a perfect way; Nuno Espirito Santo and his boys took full advantage of the situation in the second half via a 49th-minute goal scored by João Moutinho. The goal forced the game into a 2-1 lead in favor of Wolves.
As Arsenal were trying to get back into the game, the club’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno was sent off in the 72nd minute for handling the ball outside the penalty area, hence Mikel Arteta and his boys ended the game with 9-men.
After the game, Mikel Arteta said he has seen the incident involving David Luiz and Wolves’ Willian Jose 10 times, stressing that it was not a foul contrary to the judgment of the referee. He said Arsenal might have to appeal the ban that came with the red card.
“I’ve seen it 10 times in different angles and I cannot tell you where the contact is,” said Arteta.
“If they have another 50 different angles to watch it, maybe I will be surprised. I looked at seven different angles and I cannot see any contacts there.
“To play with 10 men for 45 minutes in the Premier League without your center-back, against this opposition, of course, it changes the game.
“It was a big decision if they got it right and can justify they got it right I put my hand up and apologize. The way we lost the game is where it really hurts, it’s painful.”
💬 "I'm so proud of them because of the way they reacted. Even with nine players, the way they tried was incredible."@m8arteta | #WOLARS pic.twitter.com/QHxTM2H5DX
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 3, 2021
The defeat has taken Arsenal to the 10th spot on the league table with 31 points in 22 league games. While Wolves are still rooted 14th on the league table with 26 points in 22 league games.
“It’s a very welcome win”, Wolves’ coach Nuno said. “It means a lot, we have been in a tough moment. The beginning of the game was very difficult and Arsenal were playing very good football.
“Everything changes with the penalty, the dynamic of the game changes there.”
