Kovacic should have been sent off twice vs Arsenal says ex-Premier League ref

09 October 2023 , 10:32

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Mateo Kovacic was booked after fouling Martin Odegaard (Image: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has claimed Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic could have been sent off twice against Arsenal for challenges on Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

Kovacic was shown a yellow card for a poor first half challenge on Odegaard, which Halsey believes he was "fortunate" not to have been shown a straight red for. The 62-year-old, who refereed in the Premier League for 14 years before retiring in 2013, questioned why VAR John Brooks did not send Michael Oliver to take a second look at the incident.

Halsey also felt that Kovacic was very lucky to escape a second yellow for a "reckless tackle" on Rice shortly after his initial challenge on Odegaard. "Mateo Kovacic was lucky to avoid a red card TWICE against Arsenal," Halsey said in the Sun.

"The Manchester City midfield man was fortunate not to be sent off by referee Michael Oliver for a poor studs-up challenge above the ankle of Martin Odegaard. On a yellow card after that, Kovacic soon produced another reckless tackle on Declan Rice, which deserved a second cautionable offence and therefore a sending off.

"For the first challenge, ref Oliver did not have the best angle to initially determine if the Croatian endangered the player's safety with excessive force. It was a red card so it was a surprise VAR official John Brooks did not recommend a review at the monitor.

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"I believe if Oliver had seen the challenge again, then he would have sent Kovacic off. It's where VAR should help but Brooks didn't.

"Former Chelsea ace Kovacic was late on Rice and Oliver will look at that challenge again and beat himself up that he did not take more action than just a warning. Kovacic was extremely blessed to stay on the field of play at the Emirates."

Kovacic escaped a second yellow for a challenge on Declan Rice (Getty Images)

Former Arsenal midfielder Perry Groves, meanwhile, claimed Oliver "completely bottled" sending off Kovacic for the challenge on Rice. "It was 100 per cent a second yellow card," Groves said on talkSPORT.

"I'm a big fan of Michael Oliver but he's completely bottled it." Arsenal went on to win the match 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Gabriel Martinelli and Arteta was asked after the game whether he felt Kovacic should have been sent off.

"When I saw the action live, it looked like a big challenge but I haven't seen the replay and I just want to enjoy the win," he said. "I hear we will talk about it and understand we have to do something about it but thankfully we managed to win the game."

Matthew Cooper