What are the worst refereeing decisions that have gone against Arsenal?

 

What are the worst refereeing decisions that have gone against Arsenal?

By Jonny Bray
Gabriel Martinelli's red card against Wolves was one of the most bizarre refereeing decisions Arsenal fans have seen in a long while.
It brought back memories of poor decisions in the past that have cost Arsenal dear and had many fans wondering which of these calls was the worst.
With plenty to choose from across numerous competitions, it shouldn't be too hard to find some absolutely disastrous decisions from recent years.

Robin van Persie v Barcelona – Red Card

Robin van Persie's red card against Barcelona in the Champions League back in 2011 is still widely regarded as one of the worst refereeing decisions of all time.
The Dutch forward described it as a joke, Arsene Wenger was left furious by the call, and fans were forced to relive the moment years after the fact when it went viral.
In short, van Persie saw a second yellow for taking a shot on goal.
Massimo Busacca blew his whistle to pull up Van Persie for being in an offside position, just as the striker pulled his foot back to take the shot on goal.
But Busacca was ruthless, interpreting this as an act of frustration on the Dutchman's part.
As a result, van Persie saw a second yellow and Arsenal were dumped out of the Champions League.
Consider that this was against prime Barcelona side led by Pep Guardiola, and we were 3-2 up on aggregate at that point in the game.
Barca were incredibly fortunate with a lot of refereeing decisions around that time, and this call, as well as the scandal at Stamford Bridge definitely tarnishes their claim to being one of the greatest teams in the competition's history.

Calum Chambers v West Bromwich Albion – Penalty

Mike Dean's decision to gift West Bromwich Albion a penalty back in 2017 was so outrageous it prompted Arsène Wenger to suggest the English referee hadn't even seen the incident.
It was another crucial decision that affected the result of the game.
Arsenal were well on their way to three points, thanks to Alexis Sánchez's deflected free-kick, but Jay Rodriguez converted from the spot to rescue a point for The Baggies.
Calum Chambers was judged to have handled the ball as Kieran Gibbs tried to nudge the ball past him in the area, but the ball barely touched him, and the two players were so close together it was almost laughable.

Bukayo Saka v Crystal Palace – No red card

You'd do well to find a more blatant attempt to take the player and not the ball than James McArthur's assault on Bukayo Saka.
The kick on the young Arsenal winger took place earlier this season in a game that finished 2-2 at The Emirates.
But despite the challenge forcing Saka off at the interval, it only resulted in a yellow card from referee Mike Dean.
It was an outrageous decision, made even worse by the fact that Dean had the option to take it to those in the VAR room.
To make the matter even more frustrating, we dropped points in that game, and there's no telling how Saka staying on, or McArthur's sending off, could have changed the contest.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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