Wenger defends Sanchez theatrics after ‘swollen lip’

Matt Stead

Arsene Wenger defended Alexis Sanchez after an incident late on in Arsenal’s narrow win over Leicester on Wednesday night.

The Gunners needed an 86th-minute Robert Huth own goal to see off the reigning Premier League champions and keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish.

After Huth had inadvertently deflected Nacho Monreal’s late effort past Kasper Schmeichel, Sanchez was attempting to prevent a long throw-in from Christian Fuchs as the Foxes chased an equaliser.

Having refused to move away from the touchline, Sanchez theatrically hit the ground holding his face as Fuchs took the throw, seemingly aiming the ball at the Chilean.

The ball hit Sanchez on the shoulder but he went down after a short delay, only to be booked by referee Mike Jones for not retreating far enough.

“In the first two attempts when Fuchs tried to throw the ball in, Sanchez stood next to him and didn’t know he had to be further away,” Gunners boss Wenger said.

“Also the referee did not tell him to move further away and after that he got a yellow card because he didn’t accept the rule. I accept that. He was not the required distance.

“The referee or the linesman should have told him. Fuchs was lucky not to get a yellow card because he threw the ball at him on purpose.”

Sanchez later posted two pictures to Instagram of him nursing a split lip and holding a bag of ice on the wound – but Wenger revealed that came from a separate incident.

“Huth went really in with him I think,” he added.

“I helped him to get up and he was bleeding on the lips.”