Following last week’s focus on refereeing decisions after Tottenham’s victory over Liverpool, PGMOL might have felt relieved that a significant decision didn’t impact the outcome in Arsenal’s match against Man City on Sunday.
If not for Gabriel Martinelli’s late goal deflected off Nathan Ake, discussions after Arsenal’s clash with Manchester City would have centered around Mateo Kovacic.
The encounter was characterized by limited activity, with both managers keen on securing a point amid crucial absences. While City had an early chance from a set piece, they rarely threatened David Raya’s goal. Martinelli’s entrance in the second half boosted the hosts, and Ederson wasn’t tested until he was wrong-footed for the winning goal.
However, had the Gunners not secured all three points, fans would likely have protested more vehemently, given Kovacic somehow escaped a red card in the first half.
The Croatian midfielder could have been sent off twice before halftime in a few minutes of chaos.
Kovacic’s first challenge on Martin Odegaard was reckless, catching the Arsenal captain slightly above the ankle with elevated studs. While Michael Oliver swiftly showed a yellow card, VAR reviewed the potential red card but deemed Kovacic’s foul not dangerous enough to overturn the on-field decision.
The more contentious incident occurred six minutes later when Kovacic aggressively challenged Declan Rice, catching his ankle without touching the ball. Referee Oliver ignored appeals for a red card, and VAR couldn’t intervene for a second caution.
Despite calls for Kovacic to be sent off, VAR’s role is limited to potential red card decisions and cannot intervene for a second yellow card. While the challenge on Rice was late and clumsy, it wasn’t deemed worthy of a straight red card.
