Former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, has blasted one of the referee’s big calls in Tottenham vs Arsenal.
Arsenal ran riot in the second 45 after a tight first period at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Lilywhites going down 4-1 to their fierce rivals.
There was a big moment in the game at the start of the second half when Arsenal were 2-1 ahead, with Randal Kolo Muani having the ball in the net.
However, the referee, Peter Bankes, disallowed the goal, adjudging that the Tottenham Hotspur striker had pushed Gabriel Magalhaes on the back before finding the back of the net.
Keith Hackett claims Tottenham’s second goal should have stood
Replays showed that Kolo Muani did have his hand on Gabriel’s back, but the Brazilian exaggerated his fall after receiving just the faintest of touches on his back.
Keith Hackett claims that the French striker’s goal should have stood as he was trying to maintain his balance rather than push the Arsenal defender.
The former PMGOL chief told Football Insider about Kolo Muani’s disallowed goal: “What the referee has to decide is whether the Arsenal player is backing in. What makes it so stupid in this situation is that we see grappling going unpunished, but something as soft as this is punished.
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“No wonder spectators are confused by the quality of these decisions. The player is backing in with the intention of achieving exactly what he’s achieved.
“A push starts with a bent arm, and it straightens – that’s a push. Here, we have a straight arm, and the player is using a degree of balance while maintaining space.”
Igor Tudor plays down Kolo Mauni’s second goal
Igor Tudor was scathing of Tottenham’s performance against Arsenal, admitting that some aspects of his side’s display made him angry.
However, the Spurs interim head coach brushed aside the controversy surrounding Kolo Muani’s disallowed goal.
When asked what he made of the decision to rule out the goal, the Croat told Football.London: “Oh, you know about this, touching the players in the box. It’s always about referees here, you know.
“They have their eyes who, you know, they make decisions every time, you know. How they feel. How they see. So it’s nothing. Sometimes they leave. Sometimes, no. This is how it is.”