Ian Wright Criticizes Leandro Trossard After Arsenal Star’s Red Card in Draw Against Manchester City
Arsenal played out a dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester City, with a 98th-minute equalizer from John Stones denying the Gunners a crucial victory. The North London club appeared set to secure all three points before a late twist saw City snatch a draw in the dying moments of the game.
The match began with City taking an early lead just nine minutes in, thanks to a goal from Erling Braut Haaland. However, Arsenal quickly fought back, with Riccardo Calafiori leveling the score in the 22nd minute. As the first half was drawing to a close, Gabriel Magalhães put Arsenal ahead with a goal in the first minute of added time. At that point, it seemed Arsenal were in control and heading towards a significant win.
Unfortunately for the Gunners, a major setback occurred in the closing seconds of the first half. Belgian international Leandro Trossard was shown a second yellow card, resulting in a red card that left Arsenal with just ten men for the remainder of the match. Trossard received his first yellow card for a reckless challenge on Bernardo Silva, and after the whistle was blown, he compounded his mistake by kicking the ball away. This act of frustration left the referee with no choice but to send him off, leaving Arsenal in a precarious position heading into the second half.
The red card was a costly moment for Arsenal, and their manager, Mikel Arteta, was visibly furious on the sidelines, pulling his jumper over his head in frustration. The loss of Trossard proved to be a turning point in the match, as City capitalized on Arsenal being a man down and eventually equalized in the final moments.
Following the match, Arsenal legend Ian Wright did not hold back in his criticism of Trossard’s actions. Speaking on Premier League Productions, Wright expressed his disappointment with the forward’s behavior. “I was quite disappointed with Trossard,” said Wright. “To kick the ball away in that situation, it was poor play from him.” Wright’s frustration was clear, as Trossard’s dismissal mirrored a previous incident where Declan Rice had been sent off for a similarly avoidable situation against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Had Arsenal maintained their full complement of players, they likely would have fancied their chances of holding on for a historic victory, as they were mere seconds away from their first win at the Etihad Stadium since 2015. However, the red card severely hindered their ability to see out the game, and they ultimately had to settle for a point.
The result leaves Arsenal in fourth place in the Premier League standings, with the dropped points potentially proving costly in their pursuit of top spot. They will now turn their attention to their upcoming fixtures, as they host Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before returning to league action against Leicester City on Saturday. While a win against City would have sent them to the top of the table, Arsenal will now need to regroup and bounce back as they aim to return to winning ways against the Foxes.