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Keith Hackett: Raheem Sterling right to be upset at Arsenal diving incident
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01/30/2025 02:51 AM
Arsenal winger Raheem Sterling had every right to be unhappy after receiving a yellow card against Girona in the Champions League, Keith Hackett has said.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the former Man City player was "unlucky" to have received a yellow card for the alleged act of simulation.
Sterling's frustration was evident. Hackett believes he had every right to be annoyed after feeling he was tripped inside the box. However, he was booked instead of winning a penalty when it appeared he overbalanced.
The night went from bad to worse for the former Man City star, who later missed a stoppage-time penalty, adding to his struggles at Arsenal. Luck simply wasn't on his side, and the booking only compounded his woes.
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Arsenal secured a 2-1 victory over Girona despite falling behind early in the game. Former Tottenham player Arnaut Danjuma capitalised on a mistake by Neto, who rushed out out of his goal too soon.
Goals from Jorginho and a stunning strike by Ethan Nwaneri sealed the win for Mikel Arteta's side.
Sterling had an opportunity to impress but was left visibly frustrated after receiving a yellow card for simulation.
Fans have been unimpressed with his recent performances, with many calling for his loan to be cancelled.
However, Hackett believes Sterling was unfortunate to be booked and explained:
“Raheem Sterling was rather unlucky to receive a yellow card for an alleged act of simulation.
“The question the referee must ask is ‘was there contact and did the player go down in an act to deceive him?’
“There appeared to be no contact and Sterling lost his balance and then went to ground.
“It's a natural fall not an exaggerated dive. I am satisfied that he did not go to ground to deceive the referee. No wonder he was annoyed to get a yellow card.
“VAR will have checked if the referee had made a clear and obvious error not to award a penalty kick and VAR was satisfied that no contact had taken place. VAR is unable to intervene on a yellow card.”
In other news, Arsenal fans have reacted to reports linking the club to Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
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The post Keith Hackett: Raheem Sterling right to be upset at Arsenal diving incident appeared first on Football Insider.