Watch: West Ham's Arthur Masuaku shown red card for spitting at opponent
West Ham didn’t just crash out of the FA Cup to third-division Wigan on Saturday. It was forced to play the final 40 minutes of the match with 10 men after a moment of extreme stupidity from Arthur Masuaku.
The French left back spit at Wigan’s Nick Powell after an otherwise forgettable non-incident after the play:
Disgusting from Masuaku #FACup pic.twitter.com/mVs8TpPmmK
— Transfer Focus (@TransfersFocus) January 27, 2018
West Ham attempted to play down the incident as if the offense was non-existent, or at least ambiguous.
Masuaku has been sent off for an alleged off the ball incident. #WIGWHU 1-0 (49)
— West Ham United (@WestHamUtd) January 27, 2018
But on replay, it was anything but. And well done to the referee for spotting it.
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Spitting is relatively harmless compared to some other red card-worthy offenses. But it’s one of the ultimate signs of disrespect. It, just like a bite or slap to the face, is an automatic sending off. That a player wouldn’t know this, or would lose his head and forget it, it difficult to fathom. But Masuaku did just that.
A little over 10 minutes later, West Ham also conceded a penalty. Wigan’s Will Grigg converted it for his second goal of the day. Grigg was particularly warm on Saturday as Wigan advanced to the fifth round. Some might even say he was on fire.
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Henry Bushnell covers global soccer, and occasionally other ball games, for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell.