Arsenal legend Wright says VAR ‘went to the toilet’ as Frank fumes over ‘clear dive’ from Havertz
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has admitted that Kai Havertz should have been sent off before scoring a crucial winner for the Gunners against Brentford.
Havertz scored a late goal to edge Arsenal past the Bees on Saturday evening, although many believe he should not have been on the pitch.
Should Arsenal’s Kai Havertz have seen red against Brentford?
After being cautioned for catching Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer with an elbow, the Germany international appeared to dive in an attempt to win a second-half penalty.
Referee Robert Jones ignored Havertz’s appeals for a spot-kick while waving away furious protests from the Brentford players.
Speaking after the game, Bees boss Thomas Frank said it was a “clear dive” and that the former Chelsea attacker should have been sent off.
“Havertz is a clear, clear dive,” he said.
“I wish they would just admit it. I don’t know if he has because that happens all the time, every week someone is doing it. I know it happens.
“That should of course been a second yellow and a red card. And then he wouldn’t be able to score the winner and hopefully maybe we would have gained a little bit more momentum, maybe to win the game.”
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Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt echoed the thoughts of his manager.
“Right now, I don’t think momentum is with us,” Janelt told the club’s official website.
“Everyone expected that Arsenal would win by three, four, five today because of their last results, but everyone knows how difficult it is to play against us either at home or away.
“They didn’t create many chances and, for me, it was a clear yellow and then red to Havertz, it was a clear dive for me. Then he scores the winner, but that’s football.”
Ian Wright: Kai Havertz should have been sent off against Brentford
To eradicate any talk of Brentford being biased or bitter, Arsenal legend Wright has admitted that Havertz should not have been on the pitch to net his second late winner of the season against Frank’s men.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Wright sympathised with the Danish head coach, saying: “I do agree with Thomas Frank, he probably shouldn’t have been on the pitch for that but he was and I was pleased he was to be honest!
“I think the assistant should probably be doing more there. The assistant should be seeing that.
“They [VAR] can’t be giving a yellow card there but they’ve missed so much. They must have gone to the toilet at that particular time!”
