Gary Neville labelled Kai Havertz’s challenge on Burnley’s Lesley Ugochukwu ‘vicious’ but the Premier League deemed it ‘not to be serious foul play.’
Havertz scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat the Clarets 1-0 at the Emirates and kept their Premier League title plans on course.
The Gunners now know that if they beat Crystal Palace away on Sunday then they will be champions, while they could even win the title on Tuesday night if Manchester City slip up at Bournemouth.
It was a nervy evening in north London as Arsenal failed to make their dominance really pay and only narrowly got over the line against the already relegated Burnley.
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It was not without controversy as well, with Havertz narrowly avoiding a red card on 68 minutes.
Well inside the Burnley half Ugochukwu was breaking with the ball and the Arsenal man lunged at him from behind, getting nowhere near the ball and planting his studs into the opponent’s calf.
Havertz was immediately shown a yellow card by the referee and VAR decided not to step in to upgrade it to red.
A statement from the Premier League Match Centre read: ‘The referee’s call of yellow card to Havertz was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the challenge deemed not to be serious foul play.’
On commentary for Sky Sports, Gary Neville felt it was a challenge that warranted a red card.
‘I don’t like that,’ he said. ‘I actually think it’s a red, it’s a horrible one and, to be fair, vicious from Havertz.
‘I don’t think that’s right. I think he’s a lucky boy. That is not good. It’s not just the trip, it’s the studs on the standing leg, well above the ball.’
Jamie Carragher agreed with his old rival, saying: ‘He’s very lucky, I think the fact that the referee’s got such a good view and gives a yellow card makes it difficult for VAR to go against it.
‘How the referee hasn’t given a red card straight away, I do not know, he can’t have a better view.
‘It has to be a red card, it should be. The idea will be the force, that will be the one thing that’s saved him. I just struggle to see how you can get away with that with how high it is on the calf.’
Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira was the dissenting voice, feeling there was not enough force from Havertz to deserve to be sent off.
‘I think it was the right decision from the referee honestly,’ said the Frenchman. ‘I didn’t think there was enough power for a red card. The yellow card for me was a fair decision.’