Of course we can stay up: Marco Silva on Hull City's Premier League battle

MARCO SILVA believes his re-modelled Hull City can stay in the Premier League.
Hull City manager Marco Silva.Hull City manager Marco Silva.
Hull City manager Marco Silva.

The Tigers slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on an afternoon when Mark Clattenburg apologised to the Yorkshire club’s players for missing a handball by Alexis Sanchez when the Chilean opened the scoring in the first half.

Sanchez sealed the three points with a stoppage-time penalty, the 11th conceded by Hull this season – a new joint record for the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers (2006-07).

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Sam Clucas was dismissed for the first time in his career moments earlier after handling Lucas Perez’s goalbound header and will miss City’s next game at home to Burnley on February 25 but Silva remains confident his team can get out of trouble.

“Of course we can stay up,” said the Tigers chief, who this week takes his squad to Portugal for a warm-weather training camp. “We showed a big fight against a good team.

“I am not happy with the result. We didn’t deserve it. Some important decisions were not good for us and they scored an illegal goal. It was handball.”

City’s players were left frustrated by not only the first goal being awarded but also Clattenburg’s decision to only show a yellow card to Kieran Gibbs after he flattened Lazar Markovic as the last defender.

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On the handball controversy, Harry Maguire said: “The referee has told us he missed it and has apologised. Mark spoke with our captain Tom Huddlestone (at the start of the second half) and said he didn’t see it but had heard it was handball.

“He said that if he had given anything, he would be guessing. It is tough for referees to make the big decisions if they don’t get clear views. There were probably a few bodies in the way at the time. Everyone makes mistakes so we don’t point any fingers at Mark at all, he is a top referee.”

Report: Page 3