Arsenal vs Man City referee appointment lacks common sense – Gunners fans are right to be unhappy
THE appointment of Peter Bankes for the power-keg Premier League showdown between Arsenal and Manchester City lacks common sense.
Gunners fans are up in arms because Bankes is from Merseyside and has an affiliation with the Liverpool County Football Association.
And I believe the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) have brought undue pressure on Bankes and themselves with the appointment for today’s Emirates clash with Arsenal vying with Liverpool in the title race.
In the wake of Michael Oliver receiving death threats and abuse after he wrongly sent off Arsenal‘s Myles Lewis-Skelly in the 1-0 win at Wolves last weekend, refs’ chiefs have made an unnecessary appointment.
They are not helping themselves.
The game is big enough because of the huge rivalry as outlined by Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
But the appointment will only increase the pressure on Bankes.
I would never question the integrity of any match official.
But if anything happens then Bankes will be in the firing line.
Arsenal fans are already fuming over Oliver’s decision to dismiss Lewis-Skelly.
Arsenal ratings vs Girona as Neto has a shocker on debut but is rescued by wonderkid
NETO endured a nightmare Arsenal debut against Girona but had 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri to thank for sparing his blushes.
SunSport’s Henry Tomlinson has provided his ratings for the Arsenal team…
Neto – 4
He made his long-awaited debut, having joined Arsenal on loan from Bournemouth last summer.
The goalkeeper got away with an early mistake and was caught out by former Spurs star Arnaut Danjuma.
Thomas Partey 45′ – 6
Too aggressive from the right-back spot and was beaten for pace by Danjuma as Girona opened the scoring.
Partey struggled with the winger for much of the game which gave the hosts an edge.
Managed to win a penalty to give Arsenal a route back into the game after a needless challenge but was hooked at half-time.
Jakub Kiwior – 6
The defender put in a decent shift at the back and was able to keep Abel Ruiz quiet for much of the match.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 6
Like Kiwior, Gabriel was fairly solid against Girona and dealt with most of the danger from the hosts.
Riccardo Calafiori 69′ – 6
Thought he scored the opener but was a good foot offside.
Continued to be positive up the wing and helped the Gunners up the pitch.
Mikel Merino – 6
Merino was fine against Girona. It was not a performance that will grab headlines but did what he needed to do in midfield.
Jorginho 80′ – 7
It’s been a while, but the Italian was back on the scoresheet after converting from the spot in the 38th minute.
The midfielder was composed on the ball and helped recycle the ball and control possession.
Martin Odegaard – 6
It was a quiet night for the Gunners captain as he helped the team maintain the ball but lacked that creative spark.
Raheem Sterling – 4
Struggled to make a big impact in the first half and was the weakest of all of the Gunners’ frontline.
To make matters worse, he was booked for diving in the 70th minute.
And just as he though it couldn’t get even worse, he missed a penalty late on.
Leandro Trossard 69′ – 6
Should have given Arsenal the lead early on but was unable to deflect the ball goalwards.
Continued to prob and rattled the crossbar before the break with a powerful effort.
Ethan Nwaneri 85′ – 8
The youngster showed why he is one of the most promising players at the club with a wonder strike in the first half.
He wrapped a curling effort into the top corner before half-time on his first Champions League start.
His goal saw him become the second youngest English goalscorer in the history of thre Champions League.
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Jurrien Timber 45′ – 6
Added some energy down the left-hand side after replacing Partey at half-time.
Kai Havertz 69′ – 6
Got involved in the attack but struggled to find a clear scoring chance,
Myles Lewis-Skelly 69′ – 6
Another comfortable outing for the impressive youngster.
Declan Rice 80′ – 6
Came on in the final stages to help solidify the defence for the Gunners and put in some dangerous corners.
He did pick up a booking late on.
Gabriel Martinelli 85′ – N/A
Replaced Nwaneri late on and looked dangerous on the wing for the final minutes.
But VAR Darren England and then the PGMOL were more to blame.
England should have intervened at Molineux and then there was no reason for the PGMOL to back a decision which was clearly incorrect.
The statement to support the red card only inflamed the situation.
I saw Gary Neville accuse Mikel Arteta of fuelling Arsenal fans’ growing hostility towards referees but I disagree.
If Prem officials got decisions right on a consistent basis then the majority of supporters would have no complaints.