Gary Neville believes referee Lee Probert was right to send off Johan Djourou in Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Fulham.
Sky Sports expert says defender deserved both bookings
Gary Neville believes referee Lee Probert was right to send off Johan Djourou in Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Fulham.
The Gunners defender was given two yellow cards, the first for a foul on Moussa Dembele and the second for a tug on Bobby Zamora with 12 minutes to go, and the dismissal proved crucial as the 10 men let a 1-0 lead slip in the closing stages.
Arsene Wenger later criticised the referee, insisting the first foul did not merit a booking and that Arsenal should have been awarded a free-kick in the build-up to the second, but
Sky Sports pundit Neville said Probert got both calls right.
"The referee had no option on both of them. I think he made the right decision," he told
Monday Night Football.
"On the first one the ball was played down the line and Djourou seems to stand on Dembele's feet. Any challenge from behind now, particularly with your studs up, is risking either a yellow or a red card.
"Djourou was too rash, he dived in when he didn't need to because Dembele wasn't going anywhere. The referee had no option.
"On the second one, Per Mertesacker should have put his foot through the ball. The centre-half was trying to dribble out at 1-0.
"Then Djourou pulled him back and leaves him no option. He was scrambling to get back, put his arm on Zamora's shoulder, he went down.
"I don't see what other decision the referee could give other than two yellow cards."
Penalty
Wenger also argued that Arsenal should have been awarded a penalty when former Gunners defender Philippe Senderos appeared to trip Gervinho in the box.
Neville agreed that Fulham were lucky to get away with that decision, but he said it was a tough decision for the referee to make without the assistance of slow-motion replays.
"They should have had a penalty," he added.
"The sympathy I have with referees - and I'm sure Arsene Wenger doesn't have that same level of sympathy - is that at full speed when I watched it first time it looked like Gervinho had just lost control.
"He lost control quite a lot during this match and it looked like the ball went away from him as he went down.
"But when we really slow it down you see Senderos come across and that's where Arsene Wenger has a point - but we need to see it at that speed to get it right.
"Senderos clipped him with his left foot and it's definitely a penalty, but we need to see that at slow motion to get it right. That's the sympathy I would have with the referee.
"He has got that one wrong, the referee, and Wenger is right."
