“We Don’t Get Penalties” – Arsene Wenger Takes Aim At Officials After Stoke City Defeat

By The Editor
on 19th August 2017

Arsene Wenger visibly angry at stonewall penalty turned away…

Arsene Wenger was clearly unhappy with the referee’s performance in our defeat to Stoke City after we were denied a clear penalty as well as a goal which looked legit.

Hector Bellerin was taken out by Mame Biram Diouf as he bore down on goal, yet Andre Marriner didn’t want to know despite being yards away from the incident.

Wenger was asked about both calls in his post-match press conference, and he had a thinly-veiled jibe at all referees and their supposed refusal to give us penalties.

The boss challenged the reporters to check the numbers regarding the number of penalties given in our favour, compared to those handed against us.

Asked if he felt the challenge on Bellerin was a clear penalty, Wenger replied: “Yes, of course.

“But we know we don’t get penalties.

“Look at the numbers and you will see. We had last year the highest (number of) penalties against us at home by a mile and the lowest number for us.

“So I give you just the numbers. I don’t say anything else,” Wenger added when asked to explain his grievance further.

We were certainly unlucky with some decisions from the referee, although it doesn’t fully explain why we lost a game in which we had 77% possession.

Wenger holds that view too and is wholeheartedly correct when he states that we have to search for the answers internally.