Arsenal are up against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby today and defender Jurrien Timber could have easily found himself in hot water.
The Arsenal defender could have easily been handed his marching orders after a rash tackle on the Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro.
According to Gary Neville, Timber managed to put his foot on the ball, and that saved his tackle from being a red card offence.
“Just hearing what has been fed into the VAR at Stockley Park,” he said live on Sky Sports.
“They said Timber puts his foot on the ball and it doesn’t roll over, which is what saved it from being a red card.”
This Jurrien Timber Tackle on Pedro Porro. No card? Yellow card? Red Card? Depends on where you stand and whom you support? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/QatXIV1Od8
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) September 15, 2024
?Vicario is booked for having his shirt grabbed by Timber who was booked for the original foul on Porro.
????Timber then squares up to Vicario, Vicario gets a yellow but no second yellow is given to Timber?
?[@SkySportsPL]#THFC | #COYS | #TOTARS | #NLDpic.twitter.com/FLxBNz2gJW
— Last Word On Spurs (@LastWordOnSpurs) September 15, 2024
Pictures from Sky Sports
The Arsenal defenders will have to be more careful with their tackling, especially in a game of this magnitude. Losing a player in a derby game could prove to be a devastating blow, and it will certainly be a huge advantage for Tottenham from then on.
Arsenal will be desperate for all three points here, and they must ensure that they finish the game with 11 players on the pitch. Mikel Arteta will certainly look to calm his players down during halftime and Arsenal will have to manage the situation carefully during the second half.
The Gunners have done reasonably well against Tottenham so far, and they will not want to give their rivals the upper hand by losing a player to a red card offence during any stage of the game.
Top photos from Sky Sports