Wenger鈥檚 fury at EPL scheduling
Print Edition
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hit out at the Premier League fixture schedulers who have handed Chelsea a pre-match advantage ahead of their London derby tomorrow.
Wenger launched a tirade against the fixture list and the standard of Premier League refereeing after his side was held to a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion, with even Gunners legend Thierry Henry coming under fire from the Frenchman.
Wenger broke Sir Alex Ferguson鈥檚 record of 810 Premier League games as a manager but he was in no mood to celebrate.
鈥淵ou cannot give West Brom five days to prepare for a game like that when we have three,鈥 said Wenger. 鈥淚 am ready to play every day as long as our opponent has played the same time recovery over Christmas. It is not normal.
鈥淲e have the same problem against Chelsea. They played yesterday, we played today, they have one day more again.鈥
A late penalty from Jay Rodriguez rescued a draw for West Brom after Calum Chambers was penalized for handball in a decision that even West Brom boss Alan Pardew said admitted was 鈥渢ough.鈥
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a penalty,鈥 said Wenger at the start of his rant. 鈥淚t was not a deliberate handball. He (Chambers) didn鈥檛 lift his hand. It was down. Where do you put your hands? You have no pockets in your shorts.
鈥淭he referee has not seen it. That鈥檚 my opinion, he will tell you that he has seen it. Ask him. I don鈥檛 want to waste my time with them, we have to live with the decision, to deal with it and to swallow it and go to the next game.
鈥淚鈥檓 angry because we have seen and seen the same things again. I did fight very hard for the referees to become professional many years ago with (then Arsenal chairman) David Dein, and they did a good job to allow them to be professional.
鈥淏ut I see no improvement. At the end of the day there are two countries in Europe where you have professional referees, in Italy and in England, and not one English referee will go to the World Cup but everything is alright. We cannot say a word against it because they鈥檙e untouchable.鈥
Alexis Sanchez had fired Arsenal ahead on 83rd minute with a free-kick and celebrated with his teammates just days after the lack of a group celebration for a Sanchez goal against Crystal Palace had prompted TV pundit Henry to claim there were splits in the camp.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 listen to what he (Henry) says,鈥 said Wenger. 鈥淚 focus on our own problems. That is the important thing.
鈥淎ll these people are paid to talk and it is difficult always to talk and talk and talk and only say things that are true and intelligent.鈥
Pardew sympathized with Wenger over the late penalty.
鈥淚鈥檇 be very upset if it was given against me,鈥 admitted Pardew. 鈥淚t was a tough penalty. Obviously the ball has hit his arm and we鈥檙e all a little in the dark about what is a handball and what isn鈥檛.鈥
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