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Bent: Noble simulation shocked me

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Sky Sports pundit Darren Bent has said he was left shocked after Mark Noble appeared to dive in the Premier League game against Aston Villa on Monday.

The game finished 0-0 but West Ham ended the game with 10 men after Arthur Masuaku was sent off for two bookable offences.

Bent believes West Ham dodged another red after Noble – who had been booked – appeared to go down looking for a penalty.

Talking to Football Insider, Bent admitted that he was shocked and that it was totally out of character for the West Ham veteran.

“There was the one where Noble dives, he’s been booked but he jumps straight back up, he’s clearly not been touched so that could have been a red card as well.

“That shocked me. He is so experienced Mark Noble. If you’d have said about diving and Mark Noble I’d have said no way, it’s impossible, I wouldn’t put those two in the same sentence.

“These things happen sometimes but he got away with one there but I guarantee he won’t do it again.”

Top players need to set an example

Noble has made 470 appearances for West Ham and only been sent off five times in 14 years at the club.

He’s a consummate professional and it was disappointing to see him try and con the ref.

It’s almost impossible to get away with simulation with the number of cameras at grounds but that still hasn’t stopped players from doing it.

Bent wasn’t the only pundit who accused Noble of cheating. Fellow Sky pundit Matt Le Tissier replied to a tweet from talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams, who asked if he thought it was a blatant dive, saying, “Yep, watch his right leg flick out to try to initiate contact, got up quick without appealing cos he knew what he’d done.”

That was the one saving grace for Noble – it seemed like it was an instinctive action that he didn’t follow through with.

However, he should have been punished and if West Ham had been reduced to nine men it could have had a real impact on the game.

Noble is in good company. Harry Kane was accused of diving in the recent north London derby when he went down under a challenge from Sokratis.

Gary Neville said it was “essentially a dive” as he appeared to initiate contact with the Arsenal player.

These incidents aren’t as blatant as just throwing yourself to the ground but they still shouldn’t be an acceptable part of the game.

Players like Noble and Kane should know better.

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