Clearly not an infraction of any rule. Lukaku didn't get a punishment for doing the same to Bong so that sets the precedent.
Reckless.
I'd give it a yellow just like I'd give Bissouma a yellow rather than a red when he kicked the shit out of some bloke last season.
I imagine the rule book says red however, but I dont really like the idea of giving red cards when its not on purpose. Which was the case both with Bissouma and here (McArthur is obviously following the ball and going for a shot).
I know what you're saying, but he's a professional footballer at the highest level of the game, if he doesn't realise there is another player between him and the ball then something has gone badly wrong in his head. The force he kicked him with it feels like a red. But the rule book seems to agree with you as both the ref and VAR ref thought a yellow was fine.
The difference between a yellow and red seems to be if you kicked someone with one foot or both feet, as this is actually very similar to Dunks red card at Palace last season. He also tried to kick the ball through a players legs in the box, but used two feet to do so, straight red.
He wasn’t following the ball very closely!
Red card for serious foul play, but don't think it falls under endangering an opponent. It's a rap on the back of the calf basically. It's the lunging spear tackles that players really worry about as they're the ones that break bones and tear ligaments. That's going to leave a bruise on the calf muscle, but not sure I'd describe it as dangerous. Red card though, as you can't go doing that to opponents.
He’s not a very good player.
Different angle:
https://streamable.com/h20g3k
I stand by that it should be no more than a yellow. Tries to shoot the ball, Saka gets in in front of him. Obvious foul and yellow but no more than that.
I'm stunned that anyone who has ever played even school football can look at that and think that it was an accident. He had Saka in his eyeline and the whistle had gone. He had plenty of time to pull out. If you look at his reaction afterwards its not one of 'Oh no, I've accidentally kicked a fellow pro!', no concern, no surprise, he immediately goes into the 'What me? I've done nothing!' fakery that we've all seen on a football pitch and that is not a natural human response to an accident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlOQTKUvsXU
Just follow the movement of his head, he is clearly looking at the ball.
I'm with the refs on this one.
Just follow the movement of his head, he is clearly looking at the ball.
I'm with the refs on this one.