Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola has accused Arsenal striker Kai Havertz of simulation.
Arsenal celebrated a 3-0 home win over Bournemouth on Saturday, and this rout began with a penalty earned by Havertz at the end of the first half.
Havertz’s boot caught on the goalkeeper’s leg, and it seems to Iraola that Kai was looking for this contact, not intending to hit the goal at all. Andoni is also outraged by Antoine Semenyo’s uncounted goal in the second half and is already waiting for an apology from the head of the referees, Howard Webb.
“I do not agree with the judges’ decisions. One of them is a penalty, and especially a cancelled goal.”
“In my opinion, Kai Havertz was trying to find a contact. He made contact at the last moment, but he wasn’t going to score a goal.”
“I think if you ask the person behind the VAR, he will say: “It’s not a penalty.” They probably thought, “There was contact, so I can’t change the referee’s decision.”
“A cancelled goal? In my opinion, it’s either a penalty on Philip Billing, or a goal. There is no third option.”
“I was thinking to myself, ‘It’s okay that it took them a while. They decide whether to award a penalty on the Billing or just count the goal.” But I don’t understand the decision that was made. But, again, Arsenal deserved to win.”
“I think in two or three days the referees will announce: “The Commission decided that there was no penalty, there was a goal.” But it won’t change anything,” the Daily Mail quoted Iraola as saying.