Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard has given his verdict on the red card Takehiro Tomiyasu received against Crystal Palace.
Arsenal had to cling on to their 1-0 victory with ten men against Crystal Palace on Monday night, after Takehiro Tomiyasu was dismissed for two yellow card offences. Martin Odegaard had already given the Gunners the lead at Selhurst Park from the penalty spot.
Tomiyasu will consider himself unlucky to have been sent off. Both of his yellow cards were debatable. His first was given for time wasting from a throw-in situation.
There is no doubt that Arsenal, as a team, were attempting to run down the clock. However, in this instance, Kai Havertz did far more to slow down proceedings than Tomiyasu. The Japanese international seemed to take one for the team with that first booking.
Why Pele Is Overrated.
It is common knowledge that the Premier League are cracking down on time wasting this season. Bookings will be dispensed liberally, and extensive periods of added time will be played out at the end of matches.
Players and clubs were all warned about this hard line prior to the start of the season. Mikel Arteta needs to ensure that his players stay on the right side of the rules from now on.
MORE ARSENAL STORIES
Odegaard sends clear message to Arsenal squad
Odegaard has issued a warning to his Arsenal teammates to remain mindful of how severe the punishments for time wasting can be. As quoted by 90min, the Norwegian midfielder said, “the first yellow card was harsh, I don’t think he [Tomiyasu] was trying to take a lot of time, he just didn’t have anyone to play to. It’s a bit tricky but we have to adapt. That’s the reality, we can’t do anything else. It’s easier to get yellow cards now so you have to be careful and that goes for me as well. It’s something to have in mind but I don’t think we should think too much about the rules. We should stay focused on the game.”
The last thing Arsenal need this season is to be racking up avoidable suspensions. Arteta will now be without Tomiyasu for Arsenal’s upcoming clash with Fulham.
With Jurrien Timber already ruled out with injury, and doubts over Oleksandr Zinchenko’s ability to play 90 minutes at this stage in his return from injury, the 24-year-old’s suspension has created a real headache for the Spanish coach. Kieran Tierney or Jakub Kiwior could be called upon if Zinchenko isn’t ready to start.