Ian Wright admitted Kai Havertz should have been sent-off before he scored the winner for Arsenal against Brentford, but was glad he wasn’t.
The German headed home in the 86th minute to secure a 2-1 win for the Gunners at the Emirates and put them top of the Premier League table.
It was not without controversy, though, as the former Chelsea man had been booked earlier after catching Kristoffer Ajer with an elbow and could easily have been shown a second yellow.
Havertz went down in the box in the vicinity of Nathan Collins but clearly dived and he escaped without a yellow card when Brentford boss Thomas Frank felt he should have been punished.
‘The performance was spot on. Even more impressive if you take into account Arsenal’s form, our form, our injury situation,’ Frank told Sky Sports.
‘I actually don’t think Havertz should be on the pitch when he scored. It was a clear dive. Maybe it is difficult for the ref but the linesman should have seen it.’
In a subsequent BBC interview, he added: ‘They [the players] were very angry because they felt they were hard done by with the penalty shout with Havertz. You can see the angles, it was clearly a dive. That was a second yellow and then it is 11 v 10.’
Wright felt the same as the Dane, confused as to why the assistant referee didn’t spot the clear dive from the 24-year-old.
‘I do agree with Thomas Frank, he probably shouldn’t have been on the pitch for that but he was and I was pleased he was to be honest!’ Wright said on Match of the Day.
‘I think the assistant should probably be doing more there. The assistant should be seeing that.
‘They [VAR] can’t be giving a yellow card there but they’ve missed so much. They must have gone to the toilet at that particular time!’
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