Arsenal dropped two precious points at home to Swansea when a late, late Mathieu Flamini own goal made it 2-2 on the night. However, it could have been much worse for the Gunners just seconds later when Jonathan de Guzmán found himself with just Szczesny to beat when referee Lee Probert blew for full-time. Szczesny and the nearest defender, Thomas Vermaelen, stopped playing on the whistle and de Guzmán slotted the ball home regardless.
Incensed Swansea players surrounded Probert after the whistle, and Swansea coach Gary Monk said it was the first time in his career that he had seen such an incident.
While referees are encouraged to use 'common sense' on the field, there is no provision for extending the game because a team has a clear-cut scoring chance - the referee is supposed to blow for time when the 90 minutes plus stoppages have elapsed. The only time the final whistle can be delayed is for a retaken penalty kick. Monk also argued that because the Flamini own goal had taken place at the very end of the 90 minutes, even more time should have been added regardless.
The most famous incident of this nature occurred during the 1978 World Cup match between Brazil and Sweden, when Welsh official Clive Thomas blew for full-time when the ball was in the air after a stoppage-time corner. Almost inevitably, the ball ended up in the net but was disallowed because Thomas judged that Zico headed the ball home after the whistle. The game finished 1-1 and Brazil ended up finishing second in the first-round group.
Last night's incident, while not as utterly pedantic as Thomas' call, once again raises the issue of timekeeping in football, and perhaps suggests that a rugby-style situation is needed, where the ball has to be out of play - but not as a result of a foul - before the referee can call time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JFuWqwFg4
H/T: gfycat
