Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he thought Leif Davis’s challenge on Bukayo Saka which earned the Ipswich Town full-back a red card was ‘not intentional’ but felt ‘it was dangerous’.
The second-placed Gunners had been 2-0 up via Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli goals before Davis caught the England international high from behind in the 32nd minute to leave the Blues with a mountain to climb.
But it was not until the 69th minute that the deficit increased with Trossard converting his second before substitute Ethan Nwaneri’s deflected strike wrapped things up two minutes from time.
Asked how bad he felt the tackle on Saka was, with the home crowd having shown their feelings at what they felt was an unjust punishment off the back of the England international appearing to leap up in the air off the back of it, he said: "The referee has made a decision, that it’s clear. He was a bit sore but nothing serious so it’s good.”
Asked if he thought it had been a lucky escape for Saka to not be left with a nasty injury from it, having only recently returned from a long-term hamstring tear, he replied: "I haven't seen the slow-motion, I've just seen the normal pace image and he cuts him from the back.
"I don't think it's intentional at all but obviously it's dangerous because he cannot really react to anything because you cannot see him coming.”
He added: "It's the moment when the foot is planted your weight is there and you cannot really react to it, but he's fine.”
Arteta saw his side reach the semi-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday with a 2-1 win at Real Madrid to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory but described their opening 35 minutes at Portman Road as their best of the campaign.
"We are really happy, really happy with the performance,” he said of a game that ensured Liverpool will have to wait to be crowned Premier League champions.
"I think the first 35 minutes is one of the best 35 minutes we've played this season, off the back of the game in Madrid.
"We scored two goals, we could have scored three or four to be fair, we really dominated the game.
"(It was) very high intensity and understanding what we had to do today to win here. And obviously after they got the red card the context of the game changed and we were in control, scoring another two goals. We made certain rotations, so overall a very positive afternoon.”
It was put to him that there was potential for a dip off the back of their exertions in Madrid but the intensity of the performance from the start ensured that did not happen.
"That's what we discussed before the match and that's the way they described it and to be more intense than them,” he said.
"And actually, what does that mean? It's just to be very intense, focus your level of attention to understand one, two, three seconds before what's going to happen and then act. And I think the team was very much at it from the beginning.”
Arsenal are back in action on Wednesday at home to Crystal Palace while Town, who are 15 points from safety now with five games to go with a far inferior goal difference, look likely to have their relegation confirmed at Newcastle on Saturday. McKenna’s side would require a win and a defeat for West Ham United to avoid that happening.