Ex-referee explains why Jurrien Timber was not sent off against Tottenham

It was an ill-tempered game, with a record number of cautions. Surprisingly, no player received a second yellow card.

Arsenal secured all three points in the fixture, but it was not an easy win, and Jurrien Timber was in terrific form.

He played as a left-back and performed brilliantly, covering the pitch from end to end. He wasn’t afraid to dive into tackles.

In one passage of play, he seemed to foul Porro, and the Spaniard exaggerated the impact of the unintentional kick.

This sparked a minor melee, with tensions nearly boiling over, but the referee quickly regained control and issued Timber only a yellow card.

Some pundits have argued that Timber deserved to be sent off and was fortunate to stay on the pitch, but former referee Mark Halsey explained that Jarred Gillett opted not to send him off because he wanted to play it safe.

He said, as quoted by The Sun:

 “The temperature was rising, the game was reaching boiling point.

“I think perhaps the referee just took the safe bet and issued a yellow card for a reckless challenge.”

Just Arsenal Opinion

Gillett is an experienced official who made a good call to keep the game flowing well.