Arsenal fans say ‘leave the pitch, the game is rigged’ as Kovacic survives VAR check after two shocking fouls
Kovacic #Kovacic
ARSENAL fans were left irate at referee Michael Oliver’s decision not to send off Mateo Kovacic.
The Manchester City midfielder received a booking in the 29th minute for a reckless tackle on Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard, whose right Achilles felt the full force of his dangerous challenge.
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Mateo Kovacic crunched Martin Odegaard with a nasty challenge in the 29th minuteCredit: SKY SPORTS 
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Kovacic raked down the back of Odegaard’s Achilles with his challengeCredit: SKY SPORTS 
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VAR agreed with Michael Oliver’s decision to give the midfielder a bookingCredit: REUTERS 
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Kovacic made another dangerous challenge less than five minutes laterCredit: GETTY
Fans demanded a red card but the video assistant referee didn’t oblige with their calls for the Croatia international to have an early bath.
And they were left seething five minutes later when the former Chelsea man took out Declan Rice with another poorly-timed challenge.
Oliver didn’t deem the tackle worthy of a second booking, prompting a slew of angry Gooners to take to X (formerly Twitter) to vent their fury.
One wrote: “Kovacic is still on the ground somehow.”
Another said: “Nah, they want us to lose so much. What is this cheating?”
And another said: “Leave the pitch, the game is rigged
One remarked: “Someone please tell me how that Kovacic was a yellow and not a straight red like Curtis Jones’ last week????
“This ref’s are corrupt.”
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Referee Michael Oliver opted NOT to give Mateo Kovacic a second bookingCredit: GETTY
The Emirates faithful’s fury was echoed by Arsenal super-fan and Sun columnist Piers Morgan.
He asked: “How the hell is Kovacic still on the pitch?
“Two horrendous fouls in 5 minutes. Abysmal refereeing.”
Kovacic’s back-to-back fouls were the hot topic in the Sky Sports studio, where former City defender Micah Richards admitted the Croat should have seen red.
He said: “I believe Kovačić should have seen red. The Rice challenge is definitely a second yellow.”
Former Gunners hitman Theo Walcott said: “As soon as it went to VAR, I thought red card.
“It’s a nasty challenge. For me, it’s a red. It’s genuinely endangering the player.”
Arsenal ended up winning the game thanks to Gabriel Martinelli’s late goal, their first win over City in the Premier League for eight years.