Developing Excuse? Pundit accuses Steve Coopers post match interview to be a COVER up to accept two MAJOR unforgivable wrong decision that gave Arsenal upper hand.
Steve Cooper believed Leicester City were on the wrong end of two key decisions in their late defeat to Arsenal, but he is keen not to let that overshadow the club’s ongoing struggle to secure their first win of the season.
Cooper described the loss at the Emirates Stadium as “cruel,” with Leicester conceding two stoppage-time goals, denying them a comeback draw. While Arsenal controlled much of the game, Leicester relied heavily on a superb performance from goalkeeper Mads Hermansen to keep them level. However, Cooper felt two crucial refereeing decisions went against his team.
The Leicester manager argued that Jamie Vardy was fouled by William Saliba in the lead-up to Arsenal’s first goal, and he was shown a yellow card for protesting the decision. Cooper also believed Riccardo Calafiori should have been sent off for a second yellow card after a trip on Facundo Buonanotte in the second half. Instead, it was Buonanotte who received a yellow card for appealing for a red.
Despite his frustrations with the officials, Cooper was careful not to place too much blame on them, especially given Leicester’s winless streak, now six games into the Premier League season. He acknowledged the team’s precarious position, with a risk of falling into the relegation zone ahead of their next match.
“We were really disappointed that the foul on Vards wasn’t given before the first goal,” Cooper said. “And while we don’t come into games trying to get players sent off, I can’t understand why Calafiori wasn’t shown a second yellow.
“Given the situation we’re in, and the pressure I’m personally under, I don’t want to make the refereeing decisions the main talking point. I’m taking responsibility for a team that needs to get better results, but we felt those calls were poor.”
Leicester endured a tough first half, conceding twice, but fought back with two goals from James Justin, including a brilliant volley to equalize. Despite a series of outstanding saves from Hermansen, Leicester’s defense was broken in added time. Cooper had hoped his team would hold on.
“We knew the first half would be difficult, and we’d have to suffer in terms of possession and territory, but it was too much,” Cooper said. “That wasn’t the plan. We talked about how it might go, but we didn’t show enough on the ball to get up the pitch in the first half.
“The second half was a great demonstration of our togetherness. I’ve been here before when a team has folded, but today we saw the opposite in terms of attitude, commitment, and sticking to the plan. We got back on level terms, and who knows what might have happened?
“Even though we had to suffer in terms of territory, I really thought we’d see it out. Arsenal are dangerous from set-pieces, and it was cruel for us to concede from a deflected corner, especially after Mads’ performance. We’re left feeling disappointed and frustrated.
“It’s another game we haven’t won, but I see the effort the players put in every day, the spirit they show, and how committed they are to the plan. I’m just glad that in the second half, we displayed that spirit and showed some quality too.
“JJ’s goal, as fantastic as it was, came from something we work on tactically, so that was a positive. There were good moments, but they weren’t enough to get the result we wanted.”