Mikel Arteta Fumes at Referee Michael Oliver After Arsenal’s 2-2 Draw Against Man City: Controversial Red Card and Late Equalizer
Mikel Arteta was left fuming with referee Michael Oliver after Arsenal’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, where a 98th-minute equalizer from John Stones denied the Gunners a famous win.
Arsenal had fought back from a 1-0 deficit to lead 2-1 before Leandro Trossard was sent off, leaving them to defend with 10 men for most of the second half.
Trossard was given his marching orders after receiving two yellow cards — the first for tugging Savinho’s shirt and the second for kicking the ball away in first-half stoppage time.
Arteta, visibly frustrated, reacted strongly on the touchline and was equally irritated in his post-match interview, hinting at inconsistent refereeing decisions.
He alluded to a similar incident involving Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku, who kicked the ball away but wasn’t booked.
Arteta refrained from directly criticizing the referee, but stated, “I think it’s very obvious,” and expressed concern over the officiating, pointing out that this was the second time in five games that Arsenal had been affected by controversial decisions.
"It's the second time it's happened in five games… it's really, really worrying"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 22, 2024
Mikel Arteta was not happy with refereeing inconsistencies after Arsenal's draw with Manchester Citypic.twitter.com/WQ7mqLTGgO
Despite City’s dominance after Trossard’s red card, with 28 shots in the second half, Arsenal’s resilience almost earned them the win before Stones’ late goal.
Arteta praised his team’s character and effort, particularly given the challenge of playing with 10 men for over 50 minutes, calling their performance “unbelievable” under such difficult circumstances.
While disappointed with the result, Arteta made it clear he was proud of his players, emphasizing their fight and determination against a team that hadn’t lost at home in 40-plus games.
Regarding accusations that Arsenal slowed the game down in the second half as players suffered from cramp, Arteta declined to comment.
Mikel Arteta Fumes at Referee Michael Oliver After Arsenal’s 2-2 Draw Against Man City: Controversial Red Card and Late Equalizer
