Arsenal star Mikel Merino needs urgent medical attention on head injury as fans demand red card
ARSENAL fans were fuming when they weren’t awarded a penalty in the first half of their Prem clash with Sunderland.
Fans of the north London club went into meltdown when makeshift striker Mikel Merino was elbowed in the face by Daniel Ballard in the seventh minute of the Stadium of Light showdown.
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Mikel Merino was on the receiving end of a nasty elbow from Daniel Ballard in the first halfCredit: REUTERS
Ballard’s elbow left Spain international Merino in a heapCredit: SKY SPORTS
The Gunners’ makeshift striker needed medical treatment but was able to continue playing
The point of Ballard’s elbow caught Merino on the side of the head as the Spaniard tried to get on the end of a cross in the penalty box.
Referee Craig Pawson stopped play after Merino lay on the floor for several moments.
But his decision not to award a spot-kick or give ex-Gunner Ballard his marching orders enraged the Emirates faithful.
One wrote on X: “Elbow to the face is not a penalty??”
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Another said: “No punishment for an elbow in the box? Wow!”
And another said: “How is this not a penalty for Arsenal?? That elbow was intentional.”
One remarked: “So an attacking player is in the penalty box, going for a header, and gets impeded from the ball by an elbow to the head.
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“Why is that not a penalty?”
Another chimed in: “The footballing/refereeing rule book needs serious changes to be made, or it might just be a Premier League thing.
“That elbow on the face/ear was more of a penalty than so many of the hand balls that are given.
“There should be clearer instructions, especially with intention.”
Merino needed medical treatment after the incident, with the Gunners’ doctors going through the new concussion protocol to ensure he was fit to continue..
The Spain international was thankfully cleared to return to the pitch to continue leading the line for Mikel Arteta‘s troops.
Merino was leading the line in the absence of the Gunners’ summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, who is out until after the international break.
He’s made 15 appearances so far this season, scoring three goals for the Premier League table toppers.
Two of those goals came in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
Pawson’s decision not to dismiss Ballard was questioned again in the 36th minute when the defender fired the Black Cats into a 1 -0 lead.
