Source: Daily_Mail
Wenger bottles it! Arsenal boss is sent off as his side crash to defeat at Old Trafford
Showing his bottle: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger kicks a plastic bottle on the Old Trafford touchline as he watches his side crash to defeat [LNB]Enraged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was ordered to leave the touchline at Old Trafford last night as his side were beaten in a fiercely contested top-of-the-table Premier League clash by Manchester United. [LNB]Wenger lost his temper, kicking a plastic water bottle after referee Mike Dean had refused a stoppage-time equaliser by Robin van Persie because William Gallas was offside. [LNB]Wenger admitted afterwards that he had not been aware that kicking the bottle was an offence. 'I didn't know we were not allowed to do that, although it was a good kick,' he said.[LNB]'I did it because I was disappointed, not because I thought it wasn't offside. The fourth official called the referee over [LNB]and he sent me off. I don't know what to say. There were 30 seconds to go and I didn't know where to go.'[LNB]The Frenchman's departure from the touchline descended into farce.Initially, he went to the back of the visiting team's area but refereeDean insisted he moved into the stands. Wenger eventually found a placeto stand among United's gleeful fans. [LNB]Afterwards he was guarded in his comments about Dean's refusal to award a 39th-minute penalty after Darren Fletcher had brought down Andrey Arshavin. TheRussian striker eased the immediate controversy by giving his team thelead with a powerful shot a minute later.[LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Off: Mike Dean gives Frenchman his marching orders near the end of the game[LNB] [LNB]Wenger, quizzed about the penalty claim, said: 'Those are questions you must put to the referee, I do not want to comment. You know what you get at Old Trafford.' [LNB]United equalised through a 59th-minute Wayne Rooney penalty after the United striker was brought down by Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. And Arsenal's misery was complete when an own goal by Abou Diaby handed United an unlikely victory after Wenger's team looked like adding to the champions' stuttering start to the season. [LNB]Wenger said: 'We were positive in the way we played and the spirit we showed. To go home without any points is frustrating. It is very difficult to accept.'[LNB] What did I do? Wenger stands with the Manchester United faithful after leaving the touchlines[LNB] [LNB]Relieved United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted it had taken an improved second-half performance to turn the game in United's favour. [LNB]'When you're 1-0 down at half-time it's always an uphill task against a team of Arsenal's capabilities and we had to dig deep,' said Ferguson. 'Obviously we had a break with the own goal but we got a clear penalty and I think, in fairness, we really did perform well in the second half.' [LNB]He was less than impressed by Arsenal's claims for a first-half penalty. 'I didn't think it was a penalty,' he said. 'Fletcher got the ball cleanly and the referee was only 10 yards away.' Manchester United 2 Arsenal 1: Abou Diaby howler gifts United win while angry Arsene Wenger is sent to the standsScots will not make Eduardo a fall-guy as UEFA prepare to make 'dive' decisionNow who's got problems? Fergie has a rethink on danger posed by ArsenalMANCESTER UNITED FC
