Robin van Persie struggled to impose himself in the game at Upton Park…
West Ham United defender James Tomkins has stated that Manchester United striker Robin van Persie should have been sent off for what he perceived to be a deliberate elbow.
Van Persie escaped any sort punishment for the incident, but was spoken to by referee Mark Clattenburg which suggests that retrospective action isn’t an option.
However, Tomkins is under no illusion as to what the Dutchman’s intention was, with the footage showing the 31-year-old taking a quick look at the West Ham defender before making the challenge – which Tomkins took particular exception to.
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“I was shocked he didn’t get a yellow card at least,” Tomkins told the Evening Standard.
“The linesman could have helped him a bit more, he was closer to it and he had a good angle. He caught me sweet around the jaw. You expect physical contact from strikers but when someone looks round and comes for you it’s a bit more malicious.”
It may have been a bit more difficult to take for the Hammers had van Persie gone on to score, but it was Daley Blind who grabbed a late equaliser to snatch a point in another game where Man United were second best for large parts.