ROY KEANE has weighed in on Katie McCabe’s red card for Arsenal last weekend against Chelsea.
The Republic of Ireland captain left the Stamford Bridge pitch visibly furious after being sent off for dissent in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea for foul and abusive language.
The sending-off unfolded quickly after the Tallaght native received two yellow cards in quick succession following the Gunners conceding a late penalty in the Women’s Super League clash.
Third-placed Arsenal entered the match trailing league leaders Chelsea by seven points.
Despite holding Chelsea scoreless for most of the game, they conceded a clear penalty in the 81st minute.
The 29-year-old Dubliner was visibly frustrated with referee Emily Heaslip before receiving a first yellow card for dissent.
McCabe refused to stop as she continued to remonstrate with the referee, leading Heaslip to issue a second yellow, followed by a red card.- but the red card was seen a harsh by many.
And Manchester United legend Roy Keane has weighed in on the dismissal, comparing it to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card for the Arsenal men’s team a day earlier.
The panel compared and contrasted the opinions of both the men and women’s Arsenal team gaffers.
Keane admitted he has done worse than what the Ireland captain did while speaking on this week’s ‘Stick to Football with Sky Bet‘.
The former United skipper, who was shown red eleven times during his Utd career, said: “Keep it all in perspective! The next day, the women’s team—McCabe abuses the referee.
“I’ve done a lot worse. But after the match, the manager said, ‘I’ll have to speak with her.’
“Everyone’s saying, ‘You have to protect the players’—no, you don’t!”
McCabe had been the only Arsenal player to start every league game this season.
But that streak is now set to come to an abrupt halt, as she is expected to serve a three-game suspension, including a vital clash against Manchester City.
City sit just one point ahead of Arsenal in the league standings.
