THE RED CARD INCIDENT: ANALYZING GABRIEL’S 83RD-MINUTE CHALLENGE ON DANGO OUATTARA THROUGH VAR OPTICS
Brentford boss Keith Andrews claims Gabriel should have been sent off in the 1-1 draw. See the full referee controversy and title news.
Brentford boss Keith Andrews didn’t hold back after his team’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal on Thursday night. He’s convinced Arsenal should’ve finished the game with 10 men.
Arsenal had a shot to pull six points clear at the top of the Premier League, but Andrews felt his side could’ve made their night even tougher. He pointed right at Gabriel Magalhaes, who’d already picked up a yellow in the 20th minute. Late in the game, in the 83rd minute, Gabriel brought down Dango Ouattara, going for the ball. Andrews said that’s a second yellow, no question. He wanted to see Gabriel sent off, but referee John Brooks let it slide. So Arsenal kept all 11 on the pitch, just like Brentford.
“I think it was a definite yellow,” Andrews told TNT Sports. “The first few fouls always set the tone for how refs call the game. There’s always that line, you know? A few times in the first half, it felt like we weren’t getting the calls. But inside the box today, I liked our movement.”
Andrews didn’t hide his frustration. He picked up a yellow of his own in the first half for getting in the referee’s ear, and cameras caught him shouting “f***ing shambles” on the touchline.
Arsenal, for their part, didn’t exactly light up the Gtech Community Stadium. They did get in front in the 61st minute, thanks to Noni Madueke’s second league goal for the club. That lead didn’t last long, though, as Keane Lewis-Potter struck back for Brentford 10 minutes later, and that was that. Both teams walked away with a point.
After the match, Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal looked a bit shaky in the opening stretch. “For the first 10-15 minutes, we just didn’t have the composure to control things,” he said. “Then we started playing our way, pushing into their half, creating some good moments, though not really clear-cut chances. In the second half, we looked more dangerous and kept threatening their backline and the keeper, but just didn’t finish things off. We scored, got the game under control, but couldn’t seal it.”
So the Gunners stay four points ahead of Manchester City, who cruised to a 3-0 win over Fulham the night before.
ELLIOT ANDERSON DOWNPLAYS TRANSFER RUMORS; STAYS FOCUSED ON ENGLAND'S WORLD CUP RUN
Elliot Anderson prioritises England’s World Cup glory as Manchester United and City challenge Newcastle for his signature
Elliot Anderson has downplayed rumours about a high-profile transfer from Nottingham Forest this summer, emphasising that his focus remains on the World Cup.
England manager Thomas Tuchel will likely want his squad fully concentrated on the tournament in the US. Anderson, a Whitley Bay native, is expected to be part of the 26-man Three Lions squad, set to face Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in the group stage.
Newcastle has publicly expressed interest through sporting director Ross Wilson in Anderson, who is reportedly on their radar. Yet, recently, Manchester United and Manchester City have also shown strong interest, pointing toward a possible competition between the two northwest clubs for his signature.
Newcastle risks being priced out if either Manchester club enters the fray. Their key motivation might grow if Sandro Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes moves to a rival team, intensifying Newcastle’s interest in Anderson.
Still, Anderson remains focused on England duty. Speaking today, he said, 'We've got the World Cup coming up this summer, so that's where all my attention is.' Wearing the England badge now means that’s all I’m thinking about at the moment.
Eddie Howe has always been a supporter of Anderson and suggested the midfielder should never have left. Earlier this season, Howe described the sale as rushed: We were on the clock and trying every angle to avoid a points deduction. We had little leverage to negotiate buyback clauses or similar protections.
Asked if he regrets the board's decision to sell Anderson due to Premier League financial rules, Howe admitted, 'It's not on my mind every day, but certain moments bring it back.' It never felt right then, and it doesn’t feel right now that we, as a club, had to make a decision we didn’t want to make. Elliot gave everything progressing through our ranks, aiming to play for Newcastle, but financial constraints ended that. Still, we wish him nothing but success.
He was clear it wasn’t about Anderson personally, but about the tough restrictions the club faced.
Given Anderson’s impressive performances for Forest and England, Newcastle are finding it tougher to secure a deal as time goes on.
WHY ROBERTO DE ZERBI IS NOW OPEN TO JOINING SPURS IMMEDIATELY DESPITE SUMMER PREFERENCE
Tottenham sets a 48-hour deadline for Roberto De Zerbi to accept the manager job as Igor Tudor exits amid a relegation crisis.
Tottenham have reportedly given Roberto De Zerbi just 48 hours to decide if he wants their manager's job. He’s now the clear favourite to replace Igor Tudor as Spurs scramble to avoid relegation.
Tudor left by mutual agreement on Sunday after failing to win any of his five Premier League games. He stepped in as a short-term fix after Thomas Frank, but things only got worse for Spurs with him in charge.
Right now, Spurs are 17th, just one point clear of the drop zone. Club bosses don’t want to wait any longer. They hope to have a new manager in place before the players come back from international duty, and talks with De Zerbi have really picked up.
At first, De Zerbi wasn’t keen on jumping in before the summer, but it sounds like he’s changed his mind.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Tottenham’s given him an ultimatum: he’s got a day or two, tops, to give a straight answer.
The paper said that until recently, De Zerbi kept saying no, but apparently, something shifted.
Now he’s seriously considering the offer, especially since taking the role now could boost his standing if he manages to keep Spurs in the Premier League.
If De Zerbi says yes, his first game would be on Sunday, April 12, away at Sunderland. That match suddenly looks massive given how close Spurs are to the bottom three.
They may already be in the relegation zone by then. West Ham, who sit 18th, play Wolves on Friday. A win for West Ham would shove Tottenham into the bottom three, though Spurs would still have a game in hand over their rivals.
Not everyone’s thrilled about De Zerbi coming in. Three major Tottenham fan groups have spoken out against the potential appointment because of comments he made about Mason Greenwood during his time at Marseille.
