Brentford head coach Thomas Frank believes Arsenal’s match-winner Kai Havertz should have been sent off for a second yellow card.
“I actually don’t think Havertz should be on the pitch when he scored,” Frank told reporters after the match. “It was a clear dive.
"I wish they’d just admit it. That should have been a second yellow [card] and a red card & then he wouldn’t be able to score the winner.
“Maybe it is difficult for the referee but the linesman should have seen it.”
Havertz, 24, headed the decisive goal for Mikel Arteta’s side in the 86th minute of the clash at the Emirates, finding the net following Ben White’s floated cross into the box.
The Germany international had received a yellow card in first half injury time, and in the 65th minute of the match, he went to ground inside Brentford’s penalty area with the visiting side’s defender Nathan Collins nearby.
Replays of the incident appeared to show that Havertz went to ground under minimal contact, with neither the on-field referee or VAR official believing that there was sufficient grounds to award a penalty kick.
But Havertz stayed on to scored the match-winner. The header was his eighth goal of the season and secured Arsenal’s eighth successive Premier League win in a row.
