Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has gently targeted referee Michael Oliver after Leandro Trossard’s red card against Man City

Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori seemed to imply that during Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City, referee Michael Oliver’s decision to send off Leandro Trossard was superfluous. Already booked, Trossard was issued a second yellow card right before halftime.

 
The match centre for the Premier League claims that the booking was for kicking the ball away, therefore postponing the restart, not for a foul on Bernardo Silva.

Arsenal has seen a man sent off for a similar act twice in three games already. Declan Rice missed the North London Derby after receiving a red card in the draw against Brighton; nonetheless, he returned for the game against City.

Riccardo Calafiori said he was furious but admitting he hadn’t yet watched a replay when asked about the event. “I don’t want to say too much, but for me, the referee’s responsibility is to keep the game decent for viewing. These kinds of acts don’t call for too much intervention, he informed Sky Sports.

“I believe Leo [Trossard] missed even hearing the whistle,” the Italian said. You have to work, but not more than absolutely required. These are genuine spectacles; let the teams and the lads play.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also refrained from criticising the decision too harshly. Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta focused on how his team responded after being reduced to 10 men and mentioned a first-half incident involving Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku, who was not booked for a similar offence to Trossard’s.