‘It’s so stupid’ – Ex-PGMOL chief hits out after analysing Randal Kolo Muani footage vs Arsenal
Randal Kolo Muani did not deserve to see his goal chalked off during Tottenham’s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that referee Peter Bankes bought Gabriel Magalhaes‘ exaggerated fall on Sunday, 22 February.
With the Gunners 2-1 ahead, thanks to efforts from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres, Kolo Muani appeared to have bagged a brace in the 54th minute, only to be disappointed by the referee’s whistle.
The Arsenal duo would go on to grab their respective braces, handing Spurs their 12th defeat of the Premier League season, leaving them 16th in the standings with 11 games remaining.
Randal Kolo Muani punished as Gabriel Magalhaes’ dive bought
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee was disappointed to see Kolo Muani’s goal chalked off by the referee for a push on the Gunners’ No.6.
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He said: “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.
“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 has already upset Tottenham fanbase after Arsenal comments
Spurs were second-best to nearly everything in the North London derby, which clearly includes being on the right side of the referee’s decisions at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, the new manager is likely to have upset the fanbase the most following his post-match comments about the club’s biggest rivals, labelling them the “best team in the world in this moment”.
It is what most managers are probably thinking after playing against the Gunners, but after watching their team lose 4-1 in their local derby, Tottenham fans do not want to hear this from their new boss.
Tudor has an incredibly difficult job ahead of him, and that has been made even harder after the North London derby.