Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby today and defender Jurrien Timber could easily have found himself in hot water.
The Arsenal defender could easily have been given his marching orders after a rash tackle on Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro.
According to Gary Neville, Timber managed to get a foot on the ball, and this saved his tackle from being a red card offence.
“I’m just hearing what went into the VAR at Stockley Park,” he said live on Sky Sports.
“They said Timber puts his foot on the ball and doesn’t turn, which is what kept it from being a red card.”
This Jurrien Timber Tackle on Pedro Porro. No card? Yellow card? Red card? Does it depend on where you stand and who you support?
pic.twitter.com/QatXIV1Od8
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) September 15, 2024
?Vicario is booked for grabbing his shirt by Timber, who was booked for the original foul on Porro.
????Timber then tackles Vicario, Vicario gets a yellow but doesn’t give Timber a second yellow??
?(@SkySportsPL)#THFC | #JEWELRY | #TOTARS | #NLDpic.twitter.com/FLxBNz2gJW
— Last Word On Spurs (@LastWordOnSpurs) September 15, 2024
Images from Sky Sports
Arsenal’s defenders will have to be more careful with their tackles, especially in a game of this magnitude. Losing a player in a derby could prove to be a devastating blow, and will certainly be a huge advantage for Tottenham from then on.
Arsenal will be desperate for three points here, and need to make sure they finish the game with 11 men on the pitch. Mikel Arteta will no doubt be looking to calm his players down at the break and Arsenal will need to manage the situation carefully in the second half.
The Gunners have fared reasonably well against Tottenham so far, and they won’t want to give their rivals the upper hand by losing a player to a red card offense at any stage of the game.
The best photos from Sky Sports
