The Leicester City manager Brendon Rodgers was left baffled by one particular decision made by referee Stuart Atwell during his side’s defeat at Old Trafford.
Rodgers criticized the decision not to send off Marco Sabitzer in Manchester United’s 3:0 victory against the Foxes on Sunday. During the post-match assessment, Rodgers even used Arsenal’s example.
New signing Sabitzer crunched into Foxes defender Wout Faes during the first half. VAR briefly looked at the incident but didn’t find enough evidence to send off the player. This left Rodgers furious.
During the press-match interview, The Irish Manager said:-
“It is a sending off It’s a straight leg onto the knee. How it was not looked that and deemed that is incredible, when I see it.”
However, Leicester’s boss even launched further criticism to an incident during Man City versus Arsenal match when Eddie Nketiah drew Ederson into a foul to win a penalty. Rodgers further stated :-
“I don’t know [why a red card wasn’t shown],” the Leicester boss continued.
“We’ve seen in the last few weeks, some of the decisions. Someone has said it was maybe after an incident but I don’t buy that one.
“If you look at Arsenal’s penalty at Manchester City, Eddie Nketiah is in goal and has a shot at goal, but the follow-through makes it a foul, which makes it a penalty. In this instance, even if the play has stopped, he’s followed through and straight-legged him right on his knee.”
AFTER RODGERS, FORMER LIVERPOOL STAR ALSO CRITICISED THE DECISION
Former Liverpool star Graeme Souness also believed the fact that Sabitzer should have been sent off for his horror tackle. Speaking on SkySports, he said:-
“For a start, he’s partly to blame because he’s on his heels, Faes, when this ball break from him not being alive to it, but that, Sabitzer has turned side-on to him, and that’s a classic case of if you’re going to go and do someone, that’s how you do it.
“You turn side-on. If he makes contact with the ball, what’s he going to do with the ball? He’s looking at the player.”
“I don’t care what some referee who’s never played the game has to say on that, that is a sending-off. If that’s not dangerous play, what is? Ask any professional footballer, he’s turned side-on, that’s a classic case of setting yourself up to do someone.”
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