Soccer

Andre Marriner spared demotion following red card mistake

Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cleared to play against Swansea

Kieran Gibbs (second left) argues his case after being mistakenly sent off by referee Andre Marriner against Chelsea last Saturday. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images.
Kieran Gibbs (second left) argues his case after being mistakenly sent off by referee Andre Marriner against Chelsea last Saturday. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images.
Dominic Fifield
Andy Hunter
Mon Mar 24 2014 - 23:00

Andre Marriner has been spared the indignity of a temporary demotion from the elite list of Select Group referees and will officiate in the Premier League this weekend despite sending off the wrong player during Arsenal’s thrashing at Chelsea last Saturday.

The Birmingham official will take charge of Southampton’s game against Newcastle at St Mary’s with Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the body who appoint referees for Premier League fixtures, having considered his mistake as an isolated error. Marriner had sent off Kieran Gibbs for deliberate handball in preventing a goalscoring opportunity, when it had actually been Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain diving to his left on the far post to tip Eden Hazard’s shot away.

Neither player is to serve a suspension as a result of the incident, with an independent regulatory commission confirming yesterday that Gibbs’ red card had been a case of mistaken identity and determining that Oxlade-Chamberlain’s was actually wrongful dismissal as Hazard’s shot had been drifting wide. The pair will be available to feature in tonight’s visit of Swansea to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal fear they will be without Laurent Koscielny until well into next month, ruling the centre half out of the Premier League games against Swansea, Manchester City and Everton. Koscielny was withdrawn at half-time during the 6-0 humiliation at Chelsea suffering from a calf injury.

Fretting
 Everton midfielder James McCarthy says Arsenal will be fretting over Champions League qualification following their latest big-game implosion. Everton's win over Swansea last weekend closed their gap on fourth place to eight points. Roberto Martinez's team, who travel to Newcastle today, have a game in hand on Arsenal and welcome them to Goodison Park on Sunday week.

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"They will be looking over their shoulder now," said McCarthy. "Obviously they will be a bit worried. We have never written ourselves off for a top-four finish. We have eight points between us and Arsenal and we have a game in hand, plus Arsenal to come here. It's still open and we will give it our best shot."
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