Wenger angry over double ban

14 April 2012

Arsene Wenger said he was unhappy about the three-match bans given to Dennis Bergkamp and Jose Antonio Reyes and said the referee in the FA Cup clash with Sheffield United was at fault for not responding properly to the incident that provoked their actions.

Bergkamp and Reyes were banned by the Football Association after a melee during the 1-1 draw last Saturday. Francesc Fabregas was kicked in the head by Danny Cullip and an incensed Bergkamp confronted the United defender. Several players joined in the row and the Dutchman was sent off by referee Neale Barry.

Bergkamp appealed on Tuesday and lost, and yesterday Reyes was found guilty of violent conduct after the compliance unit reviewed video footage which showed the £16 million Spaniard throwing a punch at Andy Liddell.

Wenger, whose side face Southampton tomorrow, is bemused by the absence of any charge for Cullip. "I cannot say I am happy about that. Bergkamp and Reyes are not violent players and I find it funny that two players who are kicked more than anybody else get a total of six games.

"Ideally, I feel we should not have responded at all but the referee should have responded to the situation. Bergkamp and Reyes did react because the referee failed to. A guy of 17 years of age is kicked in the head and the players expect the referee to take action. Dennis Bergkamp, a 35-year-old, did respond to protect the boy. I feel the bans are harsh but we have to cope with it."

Arsenal will also have to cope without England defender Sol Campbell and Brazilian midfield player Edu for the next fortnight, and they may miss the Champions League return match against Bayern Munich. Campbell's ankle is still very swollen and he will have an anti-inflammatory injection today while Edu will have a scan tonight to assess the extent of his hamstring problem.

"Now we have to recover from the disappointment of Tuesday night in Munich and show what we have shown in the past - a great reaction on the Saturday."

Wenger is at a loss to explain the weak offering in Germany but said a 3-1 defeat still gives Arsenal hope. He said: "I don't deny we had a bad game and I said that straight away. We have to 'turn up' much more than that. But it was a one-off. You cannot say we have not had some great away games - we have won in Milan and Rome.

"The second goal in Munich killed us mentally, we lost our concentration and we could have been punished much harder. What I have done since is to leave the players for 48 hours to make their own assessment and to recover from the game. From today we will talk about it and focus on the game at Southampton tomorrow."

Wenger also dismissed the suggestion that striker Thierry Henry goes missing in key games. He said: "I deny that categorically. You take his record away from home in the Champions League - and it will show you that, yes, he turns up. He is an easy target because big players become the first to take responsibility when something goes wrong. What has been said about him is not true. But he is a strong character, he will not be affected."

Three defeats of English Premiershipteams in the Champions League this week - Arsenal in Munich, Chelsea in Barcelona and Manchester United against AC Milan at Old Trafford - have raised question marks about the quality of the top flight in this country.

But Wenger said: "This a fantastic league in England but the Spanish, German and Italian leagues are also very strong. The difference between the teams who played each other wasn't that big and the financial potential of Bayern Munich is the same as any English club - and it is stronger than us. All three played teams with a great European history and none of the English teams was over-dominated. And none of the ties are over. "

Meanwhile, Southampton's Paul Smith is expected to keep his place in goal with first choice Antti Niemi still recovering from the effects of a cartilage operation two weeks ago.

Swedish midfielder Anders Svensson may return after a virus but Harry Redknapp is without Fabrice Fernandes, Marian Pahars and Michael Svensson.

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Wenger angry over double ban

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