- 'The referee had a bad game,' manager says after 6-3 loss
- Jack Wilshere may be banned for raised-finger gesture
Arsène Wenger hit out at the referee, Martin Atkinson, after a 6-3 defeat that he claimed flattered Manchester City, arguing that a penalty decision and a couple of offsides that went against Arsenal affected the result in consigning them to their third league defeat of the season.
"The
referee had a bad game," the Arsenal manager said, though he did admit
that a combination of tired legs and a lack of defensive discipline had
also contributed to the defeat. Arsenal had complained beforehand that
an early kick-off following an away game in Italy on Wednesday night
amounted to an unfair handicap, and Wenger said the effects of playing
two games so close together were clear to see. Manchester City were not only playing at home on Saturday, their Champions League game had been on Tuesday evening.
"We
did not quite have that freshness you expect to see," Wenger said. "I
do not want to look for excuses after a defeat like that; we made too
many mistakes running after the score and should not have conceded six
goals, but the game on Wednesday did not help. The situation was not
ideal, but what hurts me most is that we missed the chance to go nine
points ahead of City. They were not unbeatable. They are one of the
teams with a chance, of course, but I would not say they are the best
team we have played this season. Everton were as good as Man City, and
so were Southampton."
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