MOYES DIVE FURY
Two-match ban trips up Lanzini...but West Ham are set to appeal
DAVID MoYES has condemned the FA’s decision to retrospectively charge West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini with diving. Lanzini is facing a two-game ban after a three-man FA panel ruled unanimously that the Argentine deceived referee Graham Scott into awarding a penalty that Mark Noble dispatched to fire the London club ahead in their 3-0 win over Stoke on Saturday.
‘I am a bit surprised because in the game the referee was 10 yards from the ball with nothing blocking his vision,’ said Moyes. ‘It was clear to see the defender (Erik Pieters) makes an attempt to go for the ball and doesn’t get it.
‘So, from my point of view, I think the panel have gone against the referee. The panel on Goals on Sunday said it was a definite penalty. I don’t know how you can judge it. I find it really strange to find there are three people who say it was a pen and three people on Sunday who said it was not.’
West Ham have until 6pm tonight to respond to the charge, with the club likely to launch an appeal.
If they do so, the FA will strive to ensure a final decision is made before tonight’s Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Arsenal. And if Lanzini is banned for two matches, he will miss tonight’s game as well as Saturday’s Premier League visit of Newcastle.
Lanzini is the second Premier League player to be hit with a retrospective diving charge after Everton’s oumar Niasse was banned for two games last month for his dive to win a penalty at Crystal Palace. After a slow start, Moyes has guided his side to seven points out of nine in the Premier League. And the Scot believes he is starting to prove wrong those Hammers supporters who opposed his appointment.
‘I have to come here and show I can do it. Your reputation doesn’t stand for anything,’ he said.
‘You have to come here and try to get up and show you’re capable of doing the job. I think I’m capable of doing the job at any club in the world, so I’m sure I can do it at West Ham.’
Moyes will recall England keeper Joe Hart at the Emirates after he lost his place to Adrian.
‘I have no doubt Joe will play lots of games,’ Moyes said. ‘I have said that to him. Joe is experienced and has been great around the place and he is ready to play.’
And Arsene Wenger will ring the changes tonight, too, with a much- changed side from the team that beat Newcastle 1-0 on Saturday.
Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Mesut ozil and Alexis Sanchez can all expect to be rested, with Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck, olivier Giroud and Mohamed Elneny vying for recalls.
‘We finished a bit flat in the second half against Newcastle United, so it’s important to give a chance to other players and as well to use the squad — and that’s what I will do,’ confirmed Wenger.
‘Some players need a rest. We have so many quality players who did not start on Saturday.
‘The players who will start are basically all international players, so that’s why I think it’s a decision that makes sense.
‘And as well as that you have to show the trust and the confidence that we have in the players who did not start last week,’ he added.