Bizarre
Manchester City goal angers
Arsenal while
Manchester United need reinforcements to maintain title challenge
The decision of the referee, Abigail Byrne, to allow play to continue after she diverted what the Arsenal manager, Jonas Eidevall, described as “one of the best passes of the game” out of the path of the intercepting run of Jordan Nobbs and into the feet of Manchester City forward Lauren Hemp was strange. Hemp went on a marauding run and delivered a cross for Khadija “Bunny” Shaw to tap in to give City the lead after 65 minutes. City had dominated but Arsenal were right to feel hard done by. True, the team in possession of the ball did not change by the official’s touch but the rules seem pretty clear: if the ball touches a match official, remains on the field of play and a team start a promising attack, then play must be restarted with a dropped ball. “The referees should be professional,” said Eidevall, “and should be given all the resources that they need to prepare and practice and work on fitness and that’s where we need to focus. Let’s raise the standard around refereeing and give them the help they need.” In the end Arsenal snatched an important point in the title race through Tobin Heath’s injury-time strike. SW