Wenger faces ban after calling referee Moss a ‘cheat’
Arsene Wenger is facing a lengthy touchline ban after branding referee Jon Moss a “cheat” on Sunday.
Wenger was sent off in the closing stages of Arsenal’s dramatic 2-1 win over Burnley, which saw each side convert a stoppage-time penalty to change the course of the game.
The Gunners had led through Shkodran Mustafi’s second-half opener, with Granit Xhaka, our early loser, receiving a straight red card shortly thereafter.
It looked as though the hosts would hold on to a vital three points until Francis Coquelin conceded a penalty in the third minute of injury time, which Andre Gray scored.
Wenger protested the decision and was sent off as a result, but attempted to continue watching the match from the tunnel, where he pushed fourth official Anthony Taylor.
The Frenchman eventually acquiesced and watched the rest of the game on the television, including Alexis Sanchez’s winning penalty eight minutes into stoppage time.
The Arsenal manager did not disclose what he told Moss after the game, stating: “It was nothing bad. I said something that you hear every day in football but overall nine times out of 10, you’re not sent to the stands for that.”
But James Olley of the Evening Standard claims that the word Wenger used to describe Moss was “cheat”.
The 67-year-old is almost certain to face FA repercussions, with Moss’ referee report key to any future punishment.
If, as expected, Wenger is penalised, he could expect a similar fate to that of Alan Pardew, the then-Newcastle manager who was banned for two games and fined £20,000 who pushed assistant referee Peter Kirkup during a game in August 2012.