Wenger marks record with familiar complaint
Arsene Wenger surpassed Sir Alex Ferguson's record for Premier League games managed in Arsenal's 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion yesterday morning (Singapore time) and marked the feat by voicing one of his favourite complaints.
Referee Mike Dean awarded a controversial late penalty that denied Arsenal victory and Wenger could not resist a dig at the official.
"It's difficult to accept," Wenger said. "It's more than the decision that is involved in that and it is not the first time it has happened. But it's best we don't talk about. We know deeply what is going on and we just have to deal with it."
"I did not see it" became a familiar response from Wenger whenever decisions have gone in Arsenal's favour, but as they have struggled to replicate the success in his early years, the Frenchman has cut a more frustrated figure when rulings have gone against his team.
The 68-year-old manager was handed a four-match ban in January for pushing the fourth official after his team's 2-1 win over Burnley.
Then, unhappy about how Raheem Sterling had won Manchester City a penalty and scored a possibly offside goal in Arsenal's 3-1 loss in November, Wenger really vented his anger.
"I feel the referees don't work enough because their level drops every season at the moment," Wenger said. "And overall it's unacceptable."
With Arsenal on course for their third win in seven league games at West Brom, in Wenger's 811th game in charge, Calum Chambers was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area.
Arsenal players Hector Bellerin, Jack Wilshere and Petr Cech were cautioned for the protests and Jay Rodriguez dampened the visitors' mood further by converting the penalty to snatch a point for West Brom.
Wenger also hit out at the EPL fixture schedulers who he claims have handed Chelsea a pre-match advantage ahead of their London derby on Thursday morning (Singapore time).
He said: "I am ready to play every day as long as our opponents have the same time recovering over Christmas... We have the same problem against Chelsea. They played yesterday, we played today, they have one day more again." - AFP, REUTERS
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