Paul Merson believes Arsenal’s winner against Tottenham Hotspur should have been ruled out
In a fiercely contested North London Derby on Sunday, Arsenal came away with a narrow 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, but not without controversy. Paul Merson, an Arsenal legend, and Les Ferdinand both believe that Gabriel’s match-winning goal should have been disallowed after what they saw as a clear shove on Spurs defender Cristian Romero in the build-up.
The heated derby between Arsenal and Tottenham, one of the biggest rivalries in British football, always delivers drama, but for Spurs fans, the outcome of this one left a bitter taste. Despite Arsenal missing several key players due to injury and suspension, Mikel Arteta’s men managed to maintain their unbeaten run, courtesy of Gabriel’s header in the second half. However, Tottenham supporters will feel hard done by, given the questionable nature of the winning goal.
A Controversial Set-Piece Goal
One of Tottenham’s ongoing issues under Ange Postecoglou has been their vulnerability in defending set-pieces, and this weakness was once again exposed by Arsenal. Gabriel rose above the defence to head past Guglielmo Vicario, securing the three points for the Gunners. At first glance, the goal seemed legitimate, and there was little protest from the Tottenham players on the pitch.
However, speaking in the Sky Sports studio after the game, Paul Merson and Les Ferdinand both expressed the view that the goal should not have stood. They pointed out that Gabriel appeared to shove Cristian Romero in the back before heading the ball into the net. Merson, working as a pundit, didn’t hesitate to say that had the roles been reversed, he would have been “angry” if the foul wasn’t called.
“I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get a foul,” Merson said. “Romero is in the wrong position; everything about his defending is wrong. But even so, he gets shoved before Gabriel heads it. As a defender, you’ve got to be side-on, see the ball and the player, but that shove gave Gabriel the advantage.”
Was Romero Unlucky or Should He Have Done Better?
Les Ferdinand, while agreeing with Merson, also placed some blame on Romero for his defending. According to Ferdinand, Romero needed to be more physical in dealing with Gabriel, but he was still adamant that the shove was enough for the goal to be disallowed.
“I think if a centre forward does that, the referee gives a foul against him,” Ferdinand said. “It’s poor defending from Romero; he does need to be stronger, but he clearly gets a shove in the back. It’s one of those situations where I think Spurs fans have every right to feel aggrieved.”
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For Tottenham, this decision will undoubtedly sting. Defensive errors aside, they may feel that had the incident been reviewed more thoroughly, the goal would not have stood. With Spurs showing moments of promise under Ange Postecoglou, such controversial calls could prove pivotal in tight matches. While Arsenal march on in their pursuit of Manchester City, Tottenham can take some solace in the fact that the margin of defeat came under questionable circumstances
