Kai Havertz should have been sent off before Arsenal scored the winning goal against Brentford, a panel concluded.
The Gunners beat Thomas Frank’s side 2-1 in controversial circumstances at The Emirates on March 9, securing a late 2-1 victory thanks to a Havertz strike.
The goal took the home side to the top of the Premier League, with Liverpool and Manchester City drawing the following day, leaving last year’s runners-up at the top of the table going into the final international break of the season.
But it could have been a very different situation if referee Rob Jones had correctly sent Havertz off for simulation, the Key Match Incidents Panel has revealed.
The panel ruled that Havertz, who had already been shown a yellow card earlier in the match, should have been shown a second yellow card when he tried to win a penalty in the second half, which would have meant he was not on the pitch to to score. the winning goal.
Kai Havertz should have been sent off before scoring Arsenal’s winner against Brentford, a panel has revealed
Havertz scored late on to secure a 2–1 victory for his side, putting them top of the Premier League
However, earlier in the game he had performed a ‘clear act of simulation’, the jury concluded
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“Havertz already falls when the defender makes contact and hits Havertz’s hip,” the ruling read. ‘The panel unanimously agreed that the on-field decision was incorrect and that Havertz should have been given a second warning for an “obvious act of simulation”.’
Havertz saw yellow earlier in the match after a collision with Kristoffer Ajer, who allegedly elbowed the defender.
In the 65th minute he went down under a challenge from Nathan Collins in the penalty area, although no penalty was awarded. Replays showed that there was no contract between the two players.
Collins could be heard describing the decision as a ‘bloody disgrace’ after the match as Brentford players confronted Jones on the pitch and in the tunnel after Havertz’s 86th-minute goal.
Frank supported his players in his post-match press conference, saying Havertz should not have been on the pitch when he scored.
The VAR cannot intervene when it comes to yellow cards and therefore could not have changed the decision.
Brentford players confronted referee Rob Jones (centre) on the pitch and in the tunnel after the match
Jones’ status in the referee table, which determines bonuses, will now be affected
The Key Match Incidents Panel meets weekly to vote on the key decisions of weekend matches, resulting in overall ratings for match officials, determining how much they will receive in bonuses if placed in a merit table.
It consists of five members, including three former players or coaches from a pool of Give, a representative of the Premier League and a representative of referee organization PGMOL.
The panel also ruled that Michael Oliver was right not to award Liverpool a late penalty against Manchester City when Alex Mac Allister collided with Jeremy Doku, although the decision was three votes to two.