Maresca Cries Foul As Arsenal’s Hincapié Escapes Red After Leaving Chabolah With Black Eye

Enzo Maresca complained of inconsistent refereeing aft Moisés Caicedo was sent disconnected for Chelsea and Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié escaped a imaginable reddish paper during a bruising 1-1 draw astatine Stamford Bridge.

Although Maresca accepted that Caicedo deserved to spot reddish for a dreadful tackle connected Mikel Merino midway done nan first half, nan Italian still cried foul. The caput coach cited Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur not being sent off for a mediocre tackle against Chelsea astatine nan commencement of November and he was likewise bullish erstwhile told astir Reece James arguing that Arsenal should person been reduced to 10 men erstwhile Hincapié near Trevoh Chalobah pinch a achromatic oculus during an aerial duel.

“I deliberation Reece is right,” Maresca said. “But they decide. He asked maine astir Moi’s reddish card. It’s a reddish card, but why was Bentancur’s against Reece not a reddish paper erstwhile we were astatine Spurs away? As a manager, we struggle to understand why they judge successful different way. Moi’s is reddish card, yes. Bentancur’s is simply a reddish card, yes. Why they don’t springiness him a reddish card?

“We struggle to understand. The reality is that it’s reddish card. But why they judge successful different way? The Trevoh one, I asked nan referee, he said to maine that it was not an elbow. So, this is what they said. [He had a] achromatic eye, pinch crystal astatine half-time. But they judge successful different way.”

Maresca was pleased pinch his side’s capacity aft they mislaid Caicedo, who is group to miss games against Leeds, Bournemouth and Everton. However, they were incapable to trim Arsenal’s lead astatine nan apical to 3 points aft going 1-0 up acknowledgment to Chalobah. Merino equalised for nan visitors and was relieved not to person sustained a superior wounded erstwhile he was caught by nan Chelsea midfielder.

“I felt my ankle spell each nan measurement but luckily I person very mobile ankles,” the Arsenal subordinate said. “I knew it was a horrible situation and it was going to beryllium a reddish card.”

Mikel Arteta admitted that ­Arsenal, who were without nan injured Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba successful ­central defence, did not capitalise connected their numerical advantage. Part of that, Arsenal’s head said, was down to Chelsea trying to get his ­players sent disconnected aft Caicedo’s exit.

“Obviously we wanted to settee nan game,” Arteta said. “We didn’t negociate to do that. We had much yellowish cards. Those players were perpetually targeted to effort to moreover nan crippled successful position of numbers.”