Wednesday Apr 09 2008 07:40
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger blamed a "dodgy" penalty decision and a lack of consistency from referees after exiting the Champions League at the quarter-final stage at the hands of
Liverpool.
The Gunners lost the second leg of their last eight tie 4-2 at Anfield on Tuesday and 5-3 on aggregate and afterwards the Frenchman blamed a tale of two penalties.
With his side heading through on the away goals rule after EmManUel Adebayor's 84th minute equaliser to make it 2-2, Kolo Toure was adjudged to have pulled back Ryan Babel in the box and Steven Gerrard converted the penalty.
But afterwards Wenger claimed the penalty was a bitter pill to swallow after his side were denied their own spot-kick during the first leg the Emirates Stadium when Dirk Kuyt pulled back Alex Hleb.
"I felt at that stage the game was over at 2-2. Then there was a dodgy penalty and we started to lose concentration," he claimed.
"Over the two games this is hard to swallow. The big decisions over penalties in both matches have gone against us.
"It is difficult to take. The players in the dressing-room are very down because they believe week after week the decisions are going against them.
"It was not a penalty tonight - I have seen the replay - but we were denied a clear penalty last week. That was a real penalty, this one wasn't."
Speaking about his side's Premier League title aspirations ahead of Sunday's must-win trip to Manchester United, he added: "It will be hard now.
"We have to go to Manchester United next at the weekend, but we will try to finish strongly. But we still feel a great sense of injustice."
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