Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher slammed Arsenal star Leandro Trossard for his “ridiculous” red card during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
The Belgian became the second Gunners player to have been sent off for delaying a restart this season following Declan Rice’s controversial dismissal against Brighton last month.
Trossard was shown a second yellow by referee Michael Oliver for kicking the ball away after the whistle had gone for a foul in first-half stoppage time.
Manager Mikel Arteta was furious and complained to the fourth official while a number of the Arsenal players were visibly incensed on the pitch.
Teammate Riccardo Calafiori slammed the decision and claimed match official Oliver had become too involved in the game, with the Italian suggesting Trossard simply didn’t hear the whistle.
Neville and Carragher, however, believe the forward knew exactly what he was doing.
“There's no doubt he's heard the whistle but it comes so quickly after the whistle it means he can get away with it. But he knows what he's doing,” said Carragher.
“The reason he [Michael Oliver] knows he's heard the whistle is because he's half pulled out of kicking it away. He doesn't go fully through it,” added Neville.
Carragher then continued: “What is he doing? The position his team find themselves in, and how pivotal these games are when you're looking at points totals at the end of the season. Ridiculous thing to do.”
Former England and Manchester United star Neville had backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title before the start of the season but claimed Arteta’s side could rue not holding on for the win after John Stones scored a last-gasp equaliser.
"I backed Arsenal at the start of the season because I just felt as though when a team's hunting you down, eventually they get there, more often than not, when they're getting closer and closer,” he said.
"Today felt like a monumental, defining moment in this journey that Arsenal are on, of trying to get to a league title. Two seasons ago they quite simply fell apart in the last 10 games, last season they went so close, and then you think, right, okay, they're learning, they're maturing.
"You just think, where will we be in April and May with this game? Will we be going back to that final minute, and what happened with the John Stones goal, will we be thinking that City win the title by one point, and that moment determines it?
"It's ridiculous, because there will be dropped points, and there will be mistakes, and there will be lots of victories before the end of the season, but it is that type of situation when you're up against Pep Guardiola, he makes you feel that way."
