Brentford troll Kai Havertz on social media for alleged dive before scoring winner for Arsenal
Brentford have been trolling Arsenal star Kai Havertz for allegedly diving before he led the Gunners to a 2-1 win. Using TikTok, the Bees have drawn attention to an alleged dive by Havertz that they felt ought to have resulted in a second yellow card and his dismissal from the game.
However, the forward did not get booked and stayed on, eventually getting into the right position to hand the Gunners the winning goal. Declan Rice gave Arsenal the lead early in the game, while Brentford's equalizer came from Yoane Wissa on the cusp of half-time.
In the second half, Havertz allegedly dived during a confrontation with defender Nathan Collins in the box. He already had a yellow card for an earlier offense, and if he had been carded for diving, the game might have ended differently for the Bees. The forward notably scored a late goal, which sparked debate about whether he should have been on the pitch.
Brentford contended that Havertz should have received a second yellow card, and they took to social media to troll him. With a spooky music video and a "shocked" emoji, Brentford showed their anger on TikTok, expressing their belief that justice had not been done.
The moment in the game drew criticism from Arsenal icon Ian Wright and Brentford's manager Thomas Frank. After the game, Frank criticized the match referees for their choice (via Metro):
"They [the players] were very angry because they felt they were hard done by with the penalty shout with Havertz. You can see the angles, it was clearly a dive. That was a second yellow and then it is 11 v 10."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta commends Aaron Ramsdale's strong comeback after Brentford error
Aaron Ramsdale received accolades from Mikel Arteta for his impressive recovery during Arsenal's victory against Brentford. David Raya could not play against his own team, which allowed Ramsdale to start.
Even though Ramsdale made a mistake that allowed Yoane Wissa to score after Declan Rice had given the Gunners the lead, his strong play helped them stay in the game. The manager told the press after the game (via GOAL):
"Really happy, especially because he [Ramsdale] did exactly what he is, a person with huge personality and courage, very determined. Errors are part of football. It's how you react to it, especially for the keepers, which is probably the most difficult position."
Arteta continued:
"He did so in an amazing way. I'm not surprised, because the whole team and the whole stadium was behind him. He has earned respect and admiration. We really wanted to win for him."
Ramsdale could be on his way out of the Emirates Stadium this summer, though, having played just six Premier League games this season.