Randal Kolo Muani pushed Gabriel in the build-up to his disallowed goal (Picture: Sky Sports)
Referee Peter Bankes remains adamant he made the correct decision to rule out what Randal Kolo Muani thought was an equalising goal in last weekend’s north London derby.
The Gunners cantered to a 4-1 win that got their faltering title bid back on course, but the outcome could have been very different had the France international’s strike been allowed to stand.
Many Spurs fans felt aggrieved at the award of a foul for a two-handed push in the back of the Arsenal centre-half, especially given they were on the wrong end of a similar call earlier this season when Hugo Ekitike’s header was allowed to stand despite appearing to commit the same offence on Cristian Romero.
Asked to justify his decision on the Mic’d Up show, Bankes told Michael Owen: ‘I’m in the position I’d expect to be in for a cross coming in from the right-hand side.
‘I see two hands from the Tottenham player into the back of the Arsenal player. That is going to be my main focus, once you see two hands in live play it looks like a push, a clear push.
‘I delayed the whistle so the play could continue. Then obviously my final decision was made when the ball went into the goal.
‘That then allows the VAR to potentially check if I’ve misread something or it something doesn’t look right. On the field it looked a very, very clear offence.’
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‘I’m still comfortable,’ said Bankes, after watching a replay from an alternative angle.
‘Different speeds can make things look different. In slow motion things look different to how they can live.
‘I get one look at it and was more than happy that two hands on the back had enough impact and was an offence.
‘I understand there’s going to be split opinions on it but I’m still comfortable that that’s enough for a free kick.’
Gabriel enjoyed a lucky escape against Tottenham (Picture: Getty)
That explanation is unlikely to hold much water with those of a Tottenham persuasion, or indeed former England manager Sam Allardyce who felt Bankes was guilty of an horrendous error.
‘The referee in the North London Derby made a massive error by disallowing Randal Kolo Muani’s second goal,’ the former England manager told the Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
‘Spurs may not have gone on to get any points from the game, but if they were to have made it 2-2, who knows whether Arsenal’s nerves would have frayed again?
‘Gabriel should have been booked for feigning a free-kick. How many times do we see a ball come into the box from corners where there’s pushing and shoving – almost grievous bodily harm – and the referee allows a goal to stand?
‘Tottenham can’t afford any more bad decisions out of their control like that.
‘It was an outrageously bad decision and really, really poor from the referee – and even poorer from VAR to allow the decision to stand.’
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