Ref apologises for 'mistakenly' red-carding Gibbs in Arsenal's 6-0 PL thrashing

The referee who sent off Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs by mistake during the club's 6-0 shock defeat by Premier League leaders Chelsea has reportedly apologised for 'making the error'.

Although Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tipped Eden Hazard's shot around a post with his hand, however, referee Andre Marriner awarded a penalty by showing Gibbs a red card, a decision which stood even though Oxlade-Chamberlain seemed to tell Marriner that he was the culprit.

According to the BBC, left-back Gibbs seemed confused at receiving the red card, protesting his innocence, along with his team-mates, before leaving the field.

Following the incident, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the official body of referees, stated that Marriner is disappointed that he failed to identify the correct player and expressed his disappointment to Arsenal when he was made aware of the issue.

The statement further said that incidents of mistaken identity are very rare and are often the result of a number of different technical factors.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the referee had not seen the incident while Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said that it is the kind of a situation which needed a TV review to confirm the decision.

The Football Association tweeted clubs 'can appeal mistaken identity, although the FA can pro-actively review also'.