Arsenal’s Havertz should’ve seen red before winner – Frank

Brentford boss Thomas Frank believes Kai Havertz should have been sent off before scoring the winner in Arsenal's 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Havertz's 86th-minute header ended a fiery contest that saw Declan Rice open the scoring only for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale – recalled to the side due to David Raya's ineligibility against his parent club – to gift Yoane Wissa an equalizer in first-half stoppage. time.

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Havertz settled the match late, but only after being booked for an elbow on Kristoffer Ajer before falling under minimal contact from Nathan Collins in the 66th minute, which triggered a VAR check for a penalty.

Nothing was given and Havertz escaped censure even though he seemed to go down easily, much to Frank's dismay.

“Havertz is a clean, clear dive,” Frank said. “I wish they would admit it. I don't know if he did it because it happens all the time, every week, someone does it. I know it happens.

“It of course should have been a second yellow card and a second red card. And then he wouldn't be able to score the winning goal and hopefully we would have maybe gained a bit more momentum, maybe- be to win the match.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised Havertz's contribution after the £67.5m summer signing from Chelsea suffered a slow start to his Gunners career before hitting top form in recent years time, scoring four goals and two assists in his last four Premier League games.

“If someone had told me after the first two or three months that the whole stadium would be singing his song with this passion, with this feeling, with this chemistry, I would have found it hard to believe it,” Arteta said. “That's what happens to good people. He's an exceptional player.

“When he starts scoring goals like this and everything starts flowing, people feel more connected to him. They see his work rate, they see his intelligence, they see how he plays for the team and how he contributes. It's impossible not to love him.”

Arsenal's victory moved them to the top of the Championship by just one point ahead of Sunday's meeting between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield.