Wenger fumes at Noble
30 Sep 2007 - 09:38:32
Arsene Wenger was unhappy with Mark Noble's challenge on Alex Hleb which left the Arsenal midfielder with a badly bruised knee as the Gunners remained at the top of the Premier League table after securing a 1-0 win at West Ham United.
Robin van Persie's close-range header helped Arsenal clinch their eighth successive victory, but Wenger thought Noble's lunging tackle warranted more than a yellow card.
"To me it looked very nasty, although I haven't seen it again," he said.
"If it was an accident, it is a very bad accident, because if you see his leg it is unbelievable.
"It is red and bruised from the knee down to the toes.
"We are quite optimistic because Noble is usually a fair player. I don't know if it was an accident or not, but he caught him very well.
"I don't think Hleb will play on Tuesday because he cannot walk properly at the moment.
"[Emmanuel] Adebayor had a kick on the thigh, and he looks like he has a good chance to play on Tuesday night."