Arsenal was somehow hanging on in their Sunday match against Leeds, maintaining a 0-0 tie despite giving Leeds all sorts of chances in the first half.
The team could have been buoyed by such a thing — it’s always nice when the other team fails to punish you for playing poorly, and Arsenal would have looked to turn the match around and capitalize on their luck in the second half.
Then five minutes into the second half their winger Nicolas Pepe was given a straight red card for headbutting Ezgjan Alioski on Leeds, and welp, there goes your second half right there.
Here’s the headbutt:
Nicolas Pepe was sent off for this headbutt on Ezgjan Alioski. #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/D344c5cJHm
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 22, 2020
It’s unclear what set Pepe off, and while Alioski certainly made a meal of it, you really just aren’t allowed to headbutt guys. That’s in the rules and everything. Zinedine Zidane famously did it, and he let down a whole country when he did it.
Anyway, good luck in the remaining minutes of the match, Arsenal.
MLS: Goalkeeper gets red-carded in confusing, dramatic penalty shootout
