TV pundits, including Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, have agreed with Steve Cooper’s assessment that Riccardo Calafiori should have been sent off in the Arsenal-Leicester City game.
With the scores level at 2-2. Facundo Buonanotte drove forward with the ball and was fouled by Riccardo Calafiori. The Italian was already on a yellow card, but referee Sam Barrott did not give him a second booking. Buonanotte immediately questioned the referee why Calafiori was still on the pitch and was subsequently booked for his protests.
Steve Cooper questioned the referee’s call in the post-match interview, stating, “Although we don’t come into games trying to get players sent off, why he hasn’t sent off Calafiori is a little bit beyond belief.”
Pundits agree with Steve Cooper’s complaints
England legend Shearer called it an “awful” decision by the referee. “I think that’s an awful decision,” the former striker said. “You can clearly see Calafiori stick his leg out. It’s a deliberate trip. Yellow card, that should be. Absolutely. It’s such an important point in the game. To rub salt in the wounds, Buonanotte gets a yellow card instead. Look, he sticks his leg out. It’s a deliberate trip. All day that is a yellow card.”
Former Leicester City player Lineker added, “Steve Cooper was not happy. He thought Calafiori should’ve had another yellow card. I find it difficult to disagree with him.” Lineker was presenting for Match of the Day, and his fellow pundits also weighed in on the matter. Micah Richards said, “Today, with Calafiori, I think that’s a second yellow card. I think he was lucky to stay on the pitch.”. Former Arsenal player Theo Walcott agreed with Richards that Calafiori was lucky not to be sent off, stating that the tackle had been “cynical“.
While discussions will continue about whether Calafiori’s tackle warranted a second booking, it would have been a big turning point in the game. With Leicetser having fought back from two goals down, it’s likely that they would have gotten at least a point against a ten-man Arsenal, with victory a possibility as well.
