Skip to main content Skip to footer 
Referee Michael Oliver’s decision to send off Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard during their 2-2 draw against Manchester City has been upheld by the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel. Trossard was dismissed in first-half stoppage time for kicking the ball away following a foul on Bernardo Silva.
The incident marked the second time Arsenal have seen a player sent off for delaying the restart, with Declan Rice also dismissed for a similar offense in a 1-1 draw against Brighton earlier this month. The KMI panel supported Oliver’s decision, stating, “Trossard clearly delays the restart by kicking the ball away,” though one member disagreed, citing the “split-second nature” of the act as a potential mitigating factor.
At the time of the red card, Arsenal were leading 2-1, but Manchester City’s John Stones equalized in the 98th minute, salvaging a point for the Premier League leaders.
Martinez Decision Backed Despite Aggressive Tackle
The KMI panel also backed referee David Coote’s decision not to send off Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez for a tackle on Daichi Kamada in the 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace. While Martinez was booked for the two-footed challenge, the panel agreed the on-field decision was correct as no contact was made, though they acknowledged the “ridiculous” nature of the tackle.
Split Decisions on Gibbs-White Red Card and West Ham Penalty
Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White’s red card in their 2-2 draw with Brighton sparked division within the panel, with a 3-2 split suggesting that referee Robert Jones’ decision to show a second yellow was excessive. Meanwhile, the panel was also split on whether West Ham should have been awarded a penalty in their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea after Wesley Fofana’s tackle on Crysencio Summerville. While a majority felt a penalty should have been given, the VAR decision to uphold the no-penalty call was backed by four of the five panel members.
