KAI IN SKY
Kai Havertz awkwardly made to watch controversial Arsenal penalty on live TV after Bournemouth boss claims he ‘dived’
Havertz reveals what he told the Cherries goalie after incident
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ARSENAL star Kai Havertz was awkwardly made to watch the controversial penalty he won against Bournemouth live on TV.
Cherries boss Andoni Iraola accused Havertz of diving in the Gunners’ 3-0 win on Saturday.
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Bournemouth goalie Mark Travers made contact with the German as he ran through on goal just before half-time.
Havertz fell to the ground and was immediately awarded a penalty.
But viewers were quick to accuse Havertz of leaving his trailing foot in and playing for the contact.
Bukayo Saka put away the resulting spot-kick as Arsenal cemented the win with further goals from Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice.
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But Iraola was left fuming at full-time as he insisted that Havertz had suckered the referee.
He said: “The refereeing decisions I don’t agree with.
“For me, Kai Havertz is the one trying to find the contact (that isn’t there). At the last moment he finds the contact and he’s not going to goal to score a goal.
“I think with the VAR, probably if you asked the person on the VAR they’d say, ‘It’s not a penalty’. Probably they are thinking, ‘There is contact, so I can’t overturn it’.”
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Havertz initiated the contact... Arsenal were lucky to get penalty, says Halsey
By Mark Halsey
BOURNEMOUTH were unlucky after two big decisions went against them at Arsenal.
Cherries boss Andoni Iraola was incensed by the first-half penalty awarded to the Gunners as well as Antoine Semenyo’s goal being ruled out by VAR Peter Bankes.
For Bukayo Saka’s spot-kick, visiting keeper Mark Travers ran the risk by sticking his leg out but Kai Havertz initiated the contact and referee David Coote pointed to the spot.
From Coote’s angle, it looked like a penalty and it was not a clear and obvious error so VAR did not get involved. Had Coote not given the spot-kick, VAR would not have intervened to overrule it.
Bournemouth’s disallowed goal was a subjective decision but I didn’t think there was enough contact by Dominic Solanke on Arsenal keeper David Raya in the build-up to rule out Semenyo’s strike.
I’ve seen goals given when there has been more contact than Solanke on Raya this season.
In fact, there was even more contact from William Saliba on Philip Billing seconds before and the visitors could have had a penalty.
Ryan Christie was lucky to escape a red card for serious foul play on Bukayo Saka in the first half. The Cherries midfielder was high and endangered the safety of Arsenal winger Saka. I was surprised VAR Bankes did not recommend a review for Coote.
As he gave a post-match interview to TNT Sports, Havertz was asked to comment on the penalty incident.
And as he declared he had not seen the replay, slow-motion footage of the moment appeared on the screen in front of him.
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Havertz said: “I haven’t seen the replay... but I think he touches me.”
As the replay was shown on screen, pundit Joe Cole commented: “You see it closely from this angle, he commits and there, the contact, I think it’s a pen.
“You’re a clever player, he’s left himself exposed.”
Havertz added: “I felt the contact and went down, that’s why. For me it’s a penalty and I said to the goalie as well ‘you touched me’.
I felt the contact and went down, that’s why.
Kai Havertz
“I think he understood on the pitch as well so maybe it’s not that clear but I think you can give it for sure.”
Fans appeared to agree with Iraola’s verdict that it was a dive.
One said: “Glad he managed to stay on his feet for the whole of the interview.”
Another declared: “Dangled and waited.”
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One noted: “Geezer took a massive dive.”
Another added: “Nice dive bro.”
Meet the Arsenal Wags from Strictly star to a flight attendant
Tomali Benson - partner of Bukayo Saka
Benson and Saka have kept information on their relationship largely quiet.
They do not appear on each others Instagram pages but she was seen speaking to Saka at the 2022 World Cup.
Helene Spilling - partner of Martin Odegaard
A professional dancer from Norway who rose to fame in the country's version of Strictly Come Dancing, the pair were first spotted together at the Football Awards in March 2023.
Sophie Weber - partner of Kai Havertz
Weber works as a model and social media influencer and is the most high profile member of the group on online with almost 400,000 followers on Instagram.
They are childhood sweethearts having grown up in the same neighbourhood.
Milly White - partner of Ben White
The couple got engaged in 2022 before tying the knot officially in May last year. They have matching "I love you tattoos" on their wrists. Milly White works as a model.
Laura Trossard Hilven - partner of Leandro Trossard
The pair met in 2014 before getting married in 2019.
They have two sons together, Thiago and Amadeo.
Lauren Fryer - partner of Declan Rice
Lauren Fryer and Declan Rice have been together since 2015. She tends to keep a lower profile compared to some of Arsenal's other Wags but is no less stunning.
She sadly deleted all pictures on her Instagram after suffering horrific abuse by vile trolls.
Georgina Ramsdale - partner of Aaron Ramsdale
Georgina Ramsdale works as a flight attendant.
The couple got married last June after the Arsenal star proposed in 2022. They originally met in 2019.