Arne Slot, typically mild-mannered, appears to have had his patience pushed in recent months in the Premier League, which led to him receiving a yellow card against Arsenal.
Reflecting on the booking, the Dutch coach commented, “Last time [I got booked], I fully deserved the yellow card; this time, I don’t think I did.
“I pointed out how often they were on the floor, which is part of football, so I don’t blame them, but it always happened when they had possession, which in my view drained the game’s energy.
“I said to Ibou, ‘This is a f***ing joke,’ but the fourth official thought I was talking to him, saying, ‘You are a f***ing joke.’
“That’s definitely not what I meant, but I was booked for it, so now I’m on two and need to be more careful.
While a humorous mix-up, it highlights the ‘dark arts’ of Mikel Arteta’s team and the subpar officiating in a league regarded as one of the best.
Slot also noticed how frequently Arsenal players went down, and another moment where Ryan Gravenberch was penalized for a supposed foul on Leandro Trossard left him frustrated, showing how challenging it is to deal with the officiating in the league.
With Virgil van Dijk even laughing off Arsenal’s supposed injury concerns, it was a trying Sunday afternoon for Slot and his team.
As this was his second yellow card for supposed misconduct, Slot will have to tread carefully, though his clever wording allowed him to call out Arsenal’s tactics and the referees’ quality without risking further punishment.
Hopefully, he won’t need to repeat these comments when facing stronger opponents and more competent officials.
