Arsenal and Tottenham players brawl as fans demand red card but VAR says no

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A combative challenge from Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber on Tottenham full-back Pedro Porro sparked a brawl during the North London Derby.

The clash, which is usually a hotly contested affair, saw referee Jarred Gillett dish out seven yellow cards in the first half alone. And on 35 minutes, tempers flared after Timber's challenge on Porro left the latter writhing on the ground at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, sparking a heated confrontation between the two sides.

Both Timber and Porro went to win a loose ball. However, the Dutchman put his foot on top of the ball, which led to his studs rolling over it and catching Porro.

In the aftermath of the collision, Gillett awarded Timber a yellow card, but not quickly enough to prevent the two sides from confronting one another on the pitch. Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario immediately went to confront Timber, who responded by grabbing the Italian.

And from there, everyone else decided they would get involved in the action, with Arsenal and Spurs players piling in to confront each other, with plenty of pushing and shoving. In the end, Vicario ended up being booked as well for confronting Timber.

Should Jurrien Timber have been sent off against Spurs? Let us know in the comments section below.

And it's safe to say football fans on social media were left confused Timber wasn't sent off for his challenge on Porro. "Surely this is a red card right?," wrote one fan on X. A second added: "Can someone explain the difference between Curtis Jones’ red last season [for Liverpool against Spurs] and Timber’s today? The officiating in this league is horrific."

A third said: "Timber booked for original foul on Porro. Timber then squares up to Vicario, Vicario gets a yellow but no second yellow for Timber?" There were plenty however who completely agreed with Gillett's decision to only award a Timber a yellow, with some even claiming he shouldn't have even been booked for the challenge.

"Am I an idiot for thinking that’s not even a foul by Timber," one fan wrote on social media, with another adding: "That’s not even a foul from Timber, let alone a yellow Games gone."

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