The Watford boss has criticized the Gunners for not giving the ball back to Watford in the build-up to Emile Smith Rowe’s winning goal.
Arsenal edged out Watford 1-0 in their Premier League game on Sunday. The Gunners secured a narrow win, thanks to a match-winner from Emile Smith Rowe in the 56th minute.
However, the Gunners’ goal was a controversial one. Danny Rose put the ball out so that his Watford Ozan Tufan could receive treatment. When the game continued, Arsenal players refused to return the ball to the Hornets. Instead, they continued to play and managed to break the deadlock through Smith Rowe’s stunning low effort.
“We put out the ball and everybody expected Arsenal to give back the ball,” Ranieri said (via METRO).
“Sissoko and Rose said, ‘give the ball to us, we put the ball out, there was an injured player’. After this it was very strange.
“There was a cross, Kiko Femenia hit the ball with the header, Sarr took the ball, in my opinion there’s a big foul, but nothing happened and then they score the goal. It was very, very strange.”
After the final whistle, Ranieri had a heated conversation with Mikel Arteta on the touchline. The two coaches refused to shake hands after the game, but Ranieri says he has a good relationship with the Arsenal manager.
He added: “Our relationship [with Arteta] is very good, I told to him there isn’t respect when we put the ball out. I said there isn’t respect in this action, just this.
“The performance was good. Of course, in the second half after the goal Arsenal had more space. We had chances to draw the match until the end, my players were on the pitch trying to draw.”
Watford continue to struggle for form as they sit 17th on the Premier League table. Ranieri is tasked with saving the club from relegation, but it doesn’t look like an easy job at all with his side’s recent performances.
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