Sam Allardyce has slammed the referee and VAR for their decision to award a free-kick to Gabriel Magalhaes during the game between Arsenal and Tottenham.
The Gunners were by far the better team in the North London Derby on Sunday and deservedly won the game 4-1, just like they did in the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium.
A brace each from Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze sealed the win for Arsenal, who have re-established their five-point lead at the top of the table, albeit having played a game more.
Nobody can really argue that the Premier League leaders did not deserve to win the game, but Spurs fans have been pointing at a refereeing error. Allardyce has agreed with them.
Who was your Arsenal Man of the Match vs Tottenham Hotspur?
Sam Allardyce slams ‘outrageously bad decision’ from the referee during Tottenham vs Arsenal
Even though Arsenal absolutely dominated the game, Tottenham held on for a significant period.
Igor Tudor’s side scored almost immediately after conceding, and when they went 2-1 down in the second half, they thought they had equalised again.
Randal Kolo Muani, who scored their first goal, was the one who finished the action, but his strike was ruled out for a foul on Gabriel Magalhaes.
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Replays showed that the Spurs striker had both hands on the Brazilian’s back before the ball arrived, and the Arsenal defender seemed to make the most of it and went to ground.
The referee decided that it was a push on Gabriel and called for a foul, and the VAR agreed with the on-field decision.
Sam Allardyce, like many Tottenham fans, is not happy with the decision and claimed that Gabriel should have been punished for his action.
He said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: “Spurs may not have gone on to get any points from the game, but if they were to have made it 2-2, who knows whether Arsenal’s nerves would have frayed again?
“Gabriel should have been booked for feigning a free-kick. How many times do we see a ball come into the box from corners where there’s pushing and shoving – almost grievous bodily harm – and the referee allows a goal to stand?
“Tottenham can’t afford any more bad decisions out of their control like that.
“It was an outrageously bad decision and really, really poor from the referee – and even poorer from VAR to allow the decision to stand.”
Honest answers only, should Tottenham’s second goal have been disallowed?
Was Gabriel lucky here?
Gabriel Magalhaes got lucky but Arsenal would’ve still won against Tottenham
As much as we love Gabriel, it has to be said that he got away with one there.
If the roles were reversed and an Arsenal goal had been ruled out for something similar, we would all be furious. So, Tottenham fans have every right to be upset.
However, if anyone thinks that goal would’ve changed the outcome of the game, they are wrong.
Arsenal were on another level compared to Tottenham on Sunday, and they would’ve attacked with even higher intensity if the game had been 2-2.
Spurs fans can complain about that decision, but they can have zero complaints about the result.