"How is that not a red?", "Atrocious refereeing" - Arsenal fans believes Chelsea man should have been sent off for 'disgusting tackle' in PL game
Fans were shocked and angry at the referee's decision to not show a red card to Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson after he fouled Arsenal's Takehiro Tomiyasu during their Premier League clash on April 24, 2024.
Arsenal bagged a 5-0 win against Chelsea in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners' forward Leandro Trossard opened the scoring for the Gunners just four minutes into the match.
In the ninth minute, the Blues forward Nicolas Jackson dangerously tackled Takehiro Tomiyasu. The Arsenal defender immediately went to the ground and the home side just received a free-kick. The 22-year-old Senegalese striker did not receive any bookings.
Fans took to social media to express their annoyance and disappointment regarding the official ruling of the foul. Here is a collection of their posts on X (formerly Twitter):
One fan wrote:
"Absolutely atrocious refereeing"
Another added:
"Should've been a yellow minimum. Refs are a disgrace"
"EPL refs are corrupt," another fan chimed in.
One user said:
"They will try every trick in the book referees,var but they will not manage"
Another wrote:
"How was it not a red"
"He’s lucky not to get a red. That was a harsh tackle by Jackson," said another.
"Wow, that Nicolas Jackson challenge was horrendous. Clear red all day long," one account posted.
The hosts went into the break with a one-goal lead. Arsenal netted four more goals in a space of 18 minutes to make it 5-0, thanks to two goals each from Ben White and Kai Havertz.
Arsenal boss expresses sympathy for Chelsea's Mauricio Pochettino
After the massive victory, Mikel Arteta was sympathetic towards Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, saying that the latter has been doing a good job.
In the post-match, the Gunners boss said:
"All the sympathy in the world, all he's been through. I've been on the other side as well. He's doing a great job. Their last seven games, they've deserved to win every match."
Speaking about his squad, Arteta said:
"What I like is that they can manage themselves in the dressing room. In order to achieve that you have to leave some space. They know what we’re playing for. They are so excited, they are so at it. All of them even the players that haven’t played much. They’ve been outstanding. That’s what holds the team together. My role is to keep demanding."
With their victory against Chelsea, Arsenal took a step towards winning the Premier League title and strengthened their top spot in the league table with 77 points in 34 matches.