Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has assessed Jarred Gillett’s performance in the North London derby.
Arsenal beat Tottenham for the third time in a row at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, winning 1-0 thanks to Gabriel Magalhaes’ header.
Mikel Arteta will be overjoyed with the victory, as the Gunners headed to N17 without a selection of first-team regulars, including captain Martin Odegaard.
Still, the visitors got the job done at Spurs to hand Arsenal bragging rights in North London, with plenty to unpack from the fixture.
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Dermot Gallagher assesses Gabriel’s goal for Arsenal against Tottenham
As expected from a fixture as emotionally fuelled as a North London derby, referee Jarred Gillett had a busy afternoon.
The referee dished out eight yellow cards during the 90-minute duel, showing seven in the first half to warn both sides of his presence.
One of the biggest talking points of the game came from Arsenal’s goal, as Gabriel was accused of pushing Cristian Romero just before he scored.
Paul Merson thought Spurs should have got a foul in the build-up to the goal, an opinion that was not shared by former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch segment, Gallagher shared a surprise verdict on the incident, implying that Arsenal too could have called for a foul.
Asked if the goal should have stood, Gallagher said:
“I think yes. It’s a physical game, the referee lets a little bit go.
“If you think that’s a foul, there’s certainly a foul by the defender on the line; Romero grabs somebody rounds the waist, which is more the foul.”
Presumably, Gallagher was alluding to Micky van de Ven’s grappling of William Saliba as the goal took place, with claims of Gabriel fouling Romero dismissed by the ex-official.
Controversy was expected in the North London derby
There were several talking points from the performance of Gillett at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, one of which being Jurrien Timber’s challenge on Pedro Porro.
Again, Merson thought Timber should have been sent off, with the former Arsenal player suggesting that the Dutchman was lucky to remain on the pitch.
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VAR checked the incident and agreed with Gillett’s onfield decision of a yellow card, which was fair considering that the left-back’s challenge was unintentional as he slid over the ball.
It was a relief to see the game end with all players on the pitch, particularly after the yellow card frenzy in the first half.
Added to that, it was a surprise to not see a penalty be awarded, with no Premier League fixture seeing more penalties than the derby.
Arsenal won fairly on the day, getting the better of their neighbours for the third time in a row away from home.
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