Ex-PGMOL chief condemns ‘serious foul play’ after analysing unseen Viktor Gyokeres footage in Arsenal win vs Sunderland
Viktor Gyokeres was the recipient of a nasty challenge in the final moments of Arsenal’s win over Sunderland on Sunday.
Arsenal beat Sunderland 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium, marking a fourth consecutive victory across all competitions for Mikel Arteta‘s team.
The Gunners number 14 scored twice off the bench, after Martin Zubimendi had given the home side the lead with a long-range strike.
Gyokeres has been slammed for his performances since arriving at Arsenal, but the Swede appears to have found his feet in recent weeks.
Kai Havertz was another star performer against Sunderland, with the German starting to form a superb partnership with Gyokeres.
Keith Hackett reacts to Viktor Gyokeres footage
On the face of it, there was little wrong with Gyokeres’ second goal. Gabriel Martinelli had latched onto Christian Norgaard‘s clearance, poking the ball over Reinildo and driving into space.
The defender was the last man, and could only watch as the Brazilian drove away from him before looking for the run of Gyokeres.
| Arsenal | Match stats | Sunderland |
| 49% | Possession | 51% |
| 16 | Shots | 5 |
| 5 | Shots on target | 3 |
| 1.49 | Expected goals (xG) | 0.19 |
| 5 | Corners | 2 |
The Sunderland defender didn’t give up, but could only launch a desperate late lunge as the Swede swept home.
Gyokeres went down under the challenge, but had no issue with it. Replays, however, showed that the challenge was actually rather nasty.
Reinildo’s leg had been raised high up the striker’s leg, with his studs making firm contact with the back of his knee and thigh.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett said: “The referee was ideally positioned to see this challenge after the goal had been scored.
“This late challenge that was delivered with excessive force and with the boot landing in the rear of his opponent’s knee should have resulted in a red card. It was an act of serious foul play.”
Premier League must address late challenges
When Alexander Isak scored against Tottenham in December, it was a similar tackle from Micky van de Ven that fractured his leg.
While without malice, such challenges in which a defender attempts to race back and block an opposing player’s shot, with little regard for the challenge itself, can be dangerous.
Luckily, Gyokeres was completely unharmed by Reinildo’s lunge, but on another day, he may well have been left with a serious injury.
The Premier League may be minded to provide clarification about such situations, in the hopes of avoiding more dangerous situations.