
Originally Posted by
GB.
I have now watched and these are my findings:
I still don't know what that linesman was thinking, because it wasn't even marginal. Theo couldn't have been complicating things because he was standing well offside. The only defence I can make is that he couldn't see, from his angle, whether or not Theo was in line with the goalkeeper's view and so wanted to ask the referee. But either way it was very weak.
In hindsight I don't think you'd want to see Owen being sent off for something like that. It was handbags and players should be laughed at. A proper punch would be different, but I suspect Arteta would've been rolling on the floor like footballers do if there was actually a hint of pain. Looking at the replay, Arteta's challenge was absolutely fine, and clean.