Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville both expressed surprise as the challenge Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was on the end of on Monday Night Football, which was broadcast on Sky Sports.
Saka injured
Saka was taken off by Arsenal at half-time in their game against Crystal Palace, after he was taken out by James McArthur.
Saka attempted to head the ball clear, but McArthur decided that he wanted to try and volley the ball at full force.
With Saka getting there first, he had no chance of making contact with the ball though, and he ultimately ended up kicking the back of the Arsenal youngster’s calf with real force.
Saka simply couldn’t carry on after the awful challenge, and both Carragher and Neville felt that McArthur was lucky not to be sent off.
“This is just so strange looking at it,” Carragher said.
“You almost think initially, and you see this situation happen, when someone doesn’t see the player and you go to volley the ball and the player comes from nowhere and you can say, ‘well I understand what he’s done there’.
“But that’s one where he’s actually right in front of him. If Saka comes from behind him you’d say it’s a sore challenge. And there’s no way he can’t see Saka there as he’s trying to volley it!
“The referee has just blown his whistle for the handball in the box and I don’t know if he thinks ‘I can get away with this one’ and he has got away with it.
“There’s no doubt, I don’t think Crystal Palace or McCarthy could have any qualms if that was given as a red after the game, as he was right in his eyeline. It’s not great.”
“It was a weird one, wasn’t it,” Neville added. “He’s seen it and done it cynically, he couldn’t complain at a red card.”
Blow for Arsenal
In the end it could be Arsenal who suffer the most from the challenge.
Saka’s availability for their game against Aston Villa on Friday night now has to be in some considerable doubt, after he was taken off.
Arsenal also lost some of their attacking thrust after their Hale End graduate was taken off.
The Gunners lost their way against Palace, with Patrick Vieira’s men coming seconds away from beating them.
Palace fought back from 1-0 down to take the lead at the Emirates Stadium, and only a last minute goal from Alexandre Lacazette stopped Mikel Arteta’s side from falling to a surprise defeat.
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