Wenger could face charge after ‘angrily confronting’ ref

Arsene Wenger could face a Football Association charge after he ‘angrily confronted’ referee Neil Swarbrick after Arsenal’s defeat to Watford.

The Gunners slipped to a 2-1 loss despite leading against Watford on Saturday, in a huge dent to their (already rather silly) title hopes.

Wenger publicly blasted the refereeing of Swarbrick and his team after the game, describing the decision to award Watford a penalty after a Richarlison dive as “scandalous”.

According to James Olley of the London Evening Standard, the Frenchman had already confronted Swarbrick in the tunnel immediately after the game.

‘Standard Sport understands the Gunners boss pursued Swarbrick down the tunnel at Vicarage Road as the players left the field before entering the referees’ room with raised voices heard from outside during a heated exchange,’ Olley writes.

There is no official FA rule against managers entering a referee’s room at any point, and so any potential punishment will hinge on what Swarbrick includes in his report.

Wenger faces the prospect of a misconduct charge if he is deemed to have stepped over the line.