Referee Andre Marriner apologises for Gibbs red card error
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Referee Andre Marriner has apologised for sending off Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs by mistake during the Gunners’ 6-0 defeat by league leaders Chelsea.
A penalty was awarded after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tipped Eden Hazard’s shot around a post with his hand but Gibbs was shown the red card.
Oxlade-Chamberlain seemed to tell Marriner that he was the culprit but the original decision stood.
A statement read that Marriner was “disappointed” to have made the error.
Referees’ body the Professional Game Match Officials Limited said in the statement: “Incidents of mistaken identity are very rare and are often the result of a number of different technical factors.
“Whilst this was a difficult decision Andre is disappointed that he failed to identify the correct player.
“He expressed his disappointment to Arsenal when he was made aware of the issue.”
Left-back Gibbs seemed confused at receiving the red card, protesting his innocence, along with his team-mates, before leaving the field.
Hazard’s shot was heading inches wide of goal before Oxlade-Chamberlain dived to his left to divert the ball with his fingertips.
Following his side’s 6-0 loss, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the referee had not seen the incident.
“The ball went out and I think it’s Chamberlain who touched the ball,” said Wenger. “I don’t know who gave indication to the referee that it was handball but he has certainly not seen it.”
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, added: “It is the kind of situation where if you have a TV, the fourth official could see it was not Gibbs. Unfortunately the wrong boy came off.”
Marriner appeared to consult one of his assistants before awarding the penalty.
The Football Association tweeted clubs “can appeal mistaken identity, although the FA can pro-actively review also”.
In November, Preston had the wrong man sent off against Port Vale in League One.
Striker Joe Garner was suspended retrospectively for three games despite midfielder Neil Kilkenny being shown the red card during the match.
ABOUT: Nana Kwesi Coomson
[email protected] An Entrepreneur, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Communications Executive and Philanthropist. Editor-in-Chief of www.233times.com. A Senior Journalist with Ghanaian Chronicle Newspaper. An alumnus of Adisadel College where he read General Arts. His first degree is in Bachelor of Arts - Political Science (major) and History (minor) from the University of Ghana. He holds MSc in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Energy with Public Relations (PR) from the Robert Gordon University in the United Kingdom. He is a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow who studied at Clark Atlanta University in USA on the Business and Entrepreneurship track.
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