Former Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend has reacted to the incident that resulted in Pedro Neto being sent off during Arsenal’s 2–1 victory over Chelsea on Sunday night.
Arsenal took the lead in the first half from a corner, with William Saliba turning the ball home after a clever flick from Gabriella Magalhães.
Meanwhile, Chelsea drew level late in the half when Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net.
The Gunners restored their advantage after the break, again from a corner situation, as Jurriën Timber bundled the ball over the line.
However, Neto was dismissed in the second half after bringing down Gabriel Martinelli to halt a dangerous counter-attack by the Gunners.
He was shown a second yellow card for the challenge and subsequently given his marching orders, leaving Chelsea to finish the match with ten men while already trailing.
Speaking during his analysis on Premier League Productions, Townsend emphasized Martinelli’s intelligence, pointing out how the Arsenal forward smartly enticed the Chelsea winger into committing the challenge in the final twenty minutes of the contest.
“It’s a second yellow for Neto, it’s a great run from Martinelli, a brilliant bit of play from him,” he said. “He just keeps going and going. It’s a yellow card challenge, Martinelli invites the challenge.”
Before his red card, the Portuguese winger struggled to make an impact in Chelsea’s attacking play.
Despite registering 28 touches before his dismissal, Neto did not manage a successful dribble, failed to take a shot on target, and was unable to deliver an accurate cross into the box.
The former Wolves winger did show glimpses of creativity, however, completing 95% of his passes, including six key passes in the final third.
With the win, Arsenal remained top of the table, holding a five-point lead over Manchester City, who still have a game in hand.