Robin Van Persie Avoids Punishment For ‘Elbow’

Arsenal have received a major boost tonight as Sky Sports News are reporting that striker Robin van Persie won’t face any disciplinary action following an alleged elbow on Aston Villa defender Carlos Cuellar during the Gunners 3-2 victory on Sunday.

Shortly after scoring two penalties to seal a stunning comeback by Arsenal, Van Persie clashed with Cuellar near the half-way line and replays showed the strikers elbow caught the defender in the face.

This lead to Villa manager Alex McLeish calling for the FA to look at the incident, saying after the game:

‘I thought it was a clear elbow, but the referee did not seem to think there was anything in it.

‘Would I like the FA to look at it? Yes, if it was an elbow in the face – look at my nose, it is a result of elbows all my career. It is something which is dangerous.

‘I never mentioned it to the referee. I saw it in real time.

‘I don’t like to point the finger at players, but it has happened to mine enough times.’

(Source: Sky Sports News)

However, according to Sky Sports News, the Football Association will not be taking any further action after referee Mike Jones confirmed he saw the incident and felt it didn’t warrant any form of punishment.

While this will come as a huge relief to Arsenal, it’s not a surprising decision. You can clearly see Jones was looking right at the challenge and didn’t even blow for a free kick.

Even if the ref missed it, i would have been majorly shocked had the FA decided to punish Van Persie only a week after letting Man City’s Joleon Lescott off for a far worse incident. And anybody remember Wayne Rooney clearly elbowing Wigan midfielder McCarthy in the face last season? He got away with that, so if Van Persie had been done, it would have been a complete joke.