Glenn Murray fumed at Gabriel’s ‘stupid’ sending-off during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Southampton in the Premier League tonight.
The Brighton striker, who was speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Special programme, thinks Arsenal were getting a ‘foothold’ in the game before Gabriel was given his marching orders.
Midway through the second half, the £23 million summer signing [BBC Sport], brought down Theo Walcott, and given that he was already on a yellow card, he was shown a second by the on-field referee.
Murray felt that the Arsenal defender didn’t need to bring down the Southampton player and he should have ‘no complaints’ with the decision.
“Just as Arsenal get a foothold in the game, they look like the Arsenal of old, it’s a soft red card,” said Murray.
“They play the ball into Walcott. He pins Gabriel. No problem, he is facing his own goal in the middle of the pitch. He turns him and gets away from him. He just pulls him down. Red card.
“It was a second yellow card and there can be no complaints. I mean it is just soft defending. Stupid defending. It’s just soft. It’s needless. He wasn’t going to get away from him. He wasn’t going to create a chance. Just a rush of blood and drags him down. And he’s off.”
Arsenal are seemingly being involved in more sending-off’s than they are scoring goals in recent weeks.
From Granit Xhaka to Pepe, the North London club just cannot stop shooting themselves in the foot.
At least from Gabriel’s perspective, he wasn’t sent off for some silly off the ball stuff, which Xhaka and Pepe have been culpable of late.
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