Mark Clattenburg delivers final Bernardo Silva red card verdict from Arsenal vs Man City

Former Premier League and World Cup final referee Mark Clattenburg believes that Stuart Attwell was right not to send Manchester City's Bernardo Silva off during Sunday's draw with Arsenal.

The Gunners managed to rescue a point against City in the late stages after Erling Haaland had given Pep Guardiola's side an early advantage. Following an Eberechi Eze ball over the top in second-half stoppage time, Gabriel Martinelli produced a delightful chip to ensure the points were shared.

For large parts of the contest, it was a slog for Arsenal as they tried and failed to break down City's low block. However, their job could have potentially been made easier had Silva seen red moments before the interval.

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Already on a yellow card, Silva took the risky decision to throw the ball back to Leandro Trossard who was stretching. The ball ended up hitting the former Brighton man in the head which caused uproar in the home end.

Trossard, taking exception to this, threw the ball back at Silva and hit him in the midriff leading to the Portuguese winger theatrically flopping to the ground. Some Arsenal fans had hoped that the petty coming together would result in a second yellow card and the Portuguese midfielder being dismissed, but the incident was quickly de-escalated by Attwell.

Reviewing the incident for TBR Football, Clattenburg insisted that his former colleague was right not send the City man off. "Some people are asking why Bernardo Silva did not receive a second yellow card for throwing the ball at Leandro Trossard," he began.

"Silva throws the ball back to Trossard, who has his head low after stretching after the ball had previously hit him in the stomach. There was no malice or violence used in the act of throwing the ball, and Silva was merely returning the ball.

"This situation was well managed by the referee, Stuart Attwell, and he spoke with both players before the match continued. I would have been surprised if a yellow card was shown for this offence."

Ultimately a point apiece was the fairest outcome in a contest that lacked many clearcut chances. For Arsenal, it was not an ideal result considering they now sit five points behind Liverpool at this early stage in the season.

As for City, the result leaves them firmly off the pace in the title race and will likely feel more like a defeat than a draw. Next up for both clubs is a trip to a League One side in the Carabao Cup with Port Vale hosting the Gunners and Huddersfield Town welcoming City to Yorkshire.