Arsenal’s victory over Aston Villa was a fiery encounter which could have gone the other way, but the Gunners dug deep to prevail.
Mikel Arteta’s team were beaten twice by Villa last season, and were looking for revenge as they aimed to make a statement in the title race.
Their first defeat came at Villa Park last December, with Villa midfielder John McGinn scoring the only goal of the game, amid several controversial refereeing decisions.
Arsenal got their revenge with a 2-0 victory this time, as Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey scored after David Raya pulled off a spectacular save to keep Ollie Watkins at bay.
It was a feisty game, but defender William Saliba stood strong in a dominant performance at the back, and after an altercation with McGinn, Arsenal fans were delighted when Ben White came to his aid. However, the referees were less impressed.
Dermot Gallagher gives verdict on Ben White altercation with John McGinn in Arsenal win vs Aston Villa
Saliba was involved in a fierce duel for the ball with McGinn, before the Scotland midfielder then fired the ball at him, much to the Frenchman’s fury.
White then flew in to smash the ball back at McGinn, which sparked anger amongst the Villa squad, and tensions flared.
However, the situation soon calmed down as referee Michael Oliver stepped in and gave both players a warning, and former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has now praised the match official.
“If you look at it, it’s just an act of stupidity by two players. One belts the ball at Saliba, and the Arsenal player fires it back at him,” Gallagher told Sky Sports.
“A melee ensued, which was always gonna happen, but the referee just picks out the right guys. I think he calmed it very, very quickly.
“He showed why he’s the number one referee, one of the best referees in the world. He just took his time, walked over, dealt with it, calmed it down, and got on with the game.”
Michael Oliver got Ben White decision correct in Arsenal victory
Some may believe that both McGinn and White were lucky not to be yellow-carded, but Oliver showed consistency in his decisions.
As delightful as White’s actions were for the travelling Arsenal support, they could have resulted in a booking, and the same goes for McGinn.
However, the referee calmed both teams down and let the players off with a warning to allow the game to flow more, and this was the best outcome.
Arsenal have had some controversial refereeing decisions over the last year, but this is one where they will be happy that Oliver showed both consistency and the correct leniency in what was a tough game.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
