Arsenal fans made their feelings about referee Michael Oliver very clear at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
Arsenal and Chelsea battled to a 1-1 draw in this Premier League clash.
This was a game that the Gunners couldn’t really afford to drop points in. Arsenal were warned that they needed to beat Chelsea in order to keep their Premier League title dream alive.
Despite going ahead via a Gabriel Martinelli strike, the North London outfit were unable to cling on for victory.
Mikel Arteta will have had many frustrations once the final whistle was blown, with the performance of referee Michael Oliver amongst them.
Arsenal fans target referee Michael Oliver against Chelsea
This was a London derby in which play was regularly broken up by fouls, and Oliver was certainly happy to blow his whistle throughout the game.
However, at first at least, he was conservative when it came to taking out his cards. Arsenal will feel that Chelsea defender Levi Colwill could’ve been sent off in the first half.
As the game went on, frustrations with the official’s display grew within the stadium, as Arsenal fans were justifiably heard chanting on en masse: “Michael Oliver, it’s all about you.”
The referee certainly made his presence felt during the match, to the detriment of the game as a spectacle.
Can Mikel Arteta blame the referee for Arsenal woes at Chelsea?
After the match, Arteta insisted to the Sky Sports (10/11/2024, 18:59) cameras that his side were the “better team” at Stamford Bridge, though he was certainly angered by the manner in which his side conceded.
The Spanish coach refrained from criticising Oliver too harshly, but will be frustrated that more decisions didn’t go in his side’s favour.
However, ultimately, Arsenal need to take responsibility for this result, as they had a lead to defend and failed to do so.
Jurrien Timber promised Arsenal fans that there would be an improvement against Chelsea, and there was a failure to fully deliver on this vow.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 28 |
| 2 |  Man CityManchester City | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 23 |
| 3 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 19 |
| 4 |  BrightonBrighton | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 18 |
| 6 |  ArsenalArsenal | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 18 |
| 7 |  FulhamFulham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 18 |
| 8 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 |  TottenhamTottenham | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 16 |
The North London club now need to reset, and hope that Liverpool drop points in the coming weeks and months.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
