Richard Keys fires at Mike Dean for big blunders in West Ham United v Arsenal
Richard Keys has taken aim at Mike Dean for several controversial decisions as West Ham lost to Arsenal on Sunday [May 1].
The Hammers fell to a 2-1 defeat at the London Stadium but their Europa League semi-final was in the back of David Moyes’ mind given his much-changed starting XI.
Keys believes that the Gunners could have had a goal chalked off and that goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was lucky to have not been sent off.
He wrote in his blog: “David Moyes was correct. It was handball by Holding in the build-up to Arsenal’s winner.
“And it was a mistake to book Bowen. What was he supposed to do when he saw Ramsdale flying at him? If Ramsdale catches him with what was a ‘reckless’ challenge – he halves him in two.
“Ok. Ramsdale didn’t connect with either Bowen or the ball – but he intended to. I know ‘intent’ has been taken out of the game – but Ramsdale was the guilty party here.
“If Bowen doesn’t take what they call ‘evasive action’ he gets badly injured. I can’t believe Mike Dean didn’t realise that.”
Europe.
The ‘big six’ always get those calls, don’t they? West Ham are used to those types of decisions going against them which is completely unfair but an everpresent reminder of how corrupt football can be at times.
Despite the last two games being a London derby – normally some of the biggest games of the Irons’ season – nobody has overly cared about the results.
Of course, it is nice for bragging rights and pride but this season’s Premier league journey is all but finished in east London and David Moyes and the players have their sights firmly set on something far greater.
They simply have to beat Eintracht Frankfurt by more than one goal on Thursday. The Bundesliga outfit got the better of them at the London Stadium last time out but everything from the game suggested that it is there for the taking in the return leg.
The hammers have a great opportunity of securing Champions League football and winning a trophy – that is worth losing every single London derby next season.
In other West Ham news, Jermain Defoe has slammed a key Hammers man for the lack of ‘fire inside’ him whilst insisting that Moyes looks “disappointed”.
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