Already on a yellow from earlier in the match, the Belgian was given marching orders just before the break in a scene reminiscent of Declan Rice's controversial sending off conduct weeks prior.
Arsenal forward Trossard's actions incensed Carragher, while the Arsenal players furiously contested the call and tried to sway referee Michael Oliver. Yet, on Sky Sports, Carragher had no doubts about the dismissal: "The position Arsenal find themselves in, what is Trossard doing?"
Post-red card, a sympathetic Mikel Arteta offered Trossard a reassuring embrace as he exited the field, but Gary Neville, sharing punditry duties with Carragher, remained sceptical. Neville observed: "Arteta has put his jumper over his head. I don't think he can complain. It's a foul. He barges Bernardo Silva and then he wellies the ball away. The reason we know he's heard the whistle is he half pulls away."
Rice encountered an identical fate against Brighton, earlier shown a yellow and then dismissed post a minor ball nudge following a skirmish with Joel Veltman, reports the Mirror. In the wake of that contentious decision, Arsenal manager Arteta expressed his disbelief: "I was amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be. In the first half, there are two incidents and nothing happens."
"Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan [on the back of his leg], he turns around, he doesn't see the player coming and he touches the ball. By law, he can make that call, but then by law he needs to make the next call, which is a red card so we play 10vs10. This is what amazed me. At this level it's amazing."
Trossard's dismissal added to a string of dramatic events during an intense first half at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. An incident occurred instantly with Rodri and Kai Havertz colliding seconds after kick-off.
City then went 1-0 up courtesy of Erling Haaland but Rodri had to leave the pitch with what looked like a severe knee injury. Riccardo Calafiori then netted an impressive equaliser for Arsenal.
City's frustrations were compounded as the goal stood despite Kyle Walker's objections that he wasn't ready, and they were further aggravated when Gabriel Magalhaes notched a goal to put Arteta's team in front. Trossard received his red card just before half-time, setting the stage for a second half as captivating as the first, with John Stone grabbing a late equaliser for the hosts.
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