Arsenal were extremely unfortunate to see Ainsley Maitland-Niles sent off against Leicester City.
That’s according to Sky Sports pundits Graeme Souness and Alex Scott, both of whom believe the second yellow card for Maitland-Niles was harsh - and suggested James Maddison’s dramatic reaction influenced the referee.
The dismissal came ten minutes before the end of the second half and gave the top-four chasers a stern challenge in the second period, as the Gunners looked to try and secure all three points to aid their quest for Champions League football next season.
It proved to be too much for the Gunners as they lost out 3-0, denting their hopes of finishing in the top four.
But Souness, analysing both bookings, had no complaints about the first booking for Maitland-Niles but believes the second yellow was extremely harsh.
“There may be a foul on Aubameyang, from Tielemans there, but this is a booking, he obstructs him. He doesn’t want to get in a race with him. It’s a booking for me, he blocks him off. That’s a foul,” he said.
'Give Leicester the three points' - Arsenal fans fume after Ainsley Maitland-Niles is sent off
“The second one, no, I think very unlucky. [James] Maddison hasn’t helped his mate there. He slips briefly, it’s a lunge, there’s not a lot of contact when you see it from this angle.
“I think it’s really harsh. Where does he hurt him there? He goes down holding the leg, but where’s the contact?
“What happens today is the players go down with a scream. The referee is right on it. The player goes down with a scream, everyone around him is shouting foul and the referee is influenced by that. That’s not a yellow.”
What Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles said to James Maddison after red card at Leicester
Former Arsenal defender Alex Scott agreed, adding: “It’s the way Maddison has gone down. You can say on that one should he be lunging in because he’s already on a yellow? That’s helped the decision, but for me it’s not a second yellow.”
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