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Irish Goalkeeper Mark Travers Accuses Arsenal's Kai Havertz After Controversial Penalty

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Rob O'Halloran
By Rob O'Halloran
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Mark Travers had a busy afternoon between the sticks as Arsenal cast Bournemouth aside 3-0 to continue their charge for the Premier League title.

The Irish goalkeeper - who has worked his way back into the Cherries' starting XI - made a string of saves for his side in the defeat, but inadvertently played a major role in Arsenal taking the lead.

The Gunners had struggled to make the breakthrough in open play, before Travers was judged to have taken down Arsenal striker Kai Havertz in the penalty area in the 45th minute.

Arsenal would take the lead, with VAR not calling on referee David Coote to check his pitchside monitor for a deeper assessment.

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Bournemouth would then have a goal of their own ruled out before Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice wrapped up the victory.

Mark Travers accuses Kai Havertz after controversial penalty

However, Travers was clearly not pleased with the penalty awarded to Arsenal, accusing Havertz of "dangling a leg" in search of contact instead of trying to score a goal.

"As a goalkeeper you are trying to make yourself as big as possible and you're trying to make a save," he told TNT Sports.

"Havertz is coming in trying to score, if he shoots first time you are just trying to make the save.

"I am not thinking about Havertz or if I'm going to tackle him, I'm just trying to make the save.

"I feel he dangles his leg out, there is contact there. But from a goalkeeper’s point of view I don’t understand how I am going to make the save so I have to try affect the first bit and obviously he dangles his leg and that is the ref's decision."

"I don't understand why the ref can’t just go over quickly and make his own decision," Travers added.

"He is there in the moment, he made the first initial decision. It’s a tough one, but you would like to see it get reviewed."

Havertz had a different version of events, remarking that he told Travers as much after the incident.

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"I mean I haven’t seen the replay but he touches me," he told TNT.

"In the situation I felt the contact and that’s why I went down for men it’s a pen and I said to the goalkeeper as well you touched me (and) he understood on the pitch."

Bournemouth remain 10th in the Premier League table despite the defeat after what has been a strong campaign.

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Travers will be hoping to take his opportunity to force himself back into the international reckoning where Gavin Bazunu and Caoimhin Kelleher will provide competition.

SEE ALSO: Erling Haaland Has Blunt Reply For Roy Keane After Criticism

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