PARTY OVER FOR IWOBI AS WENGER FUMES

ALEX IWOBI’s decision to go partying two days before he played in Arsenal’s defeat at Nottingham Forest has only added to Arsene wenger’s problems. ‘If that is true, he will be fined,’ insisted the manager after footage on social media appeared to show the 21-year-old Nigerian dancing at a party in the early hours of saturday morning. ‘It is impossible to go out 48 hours before a game. It’s unacceptable.’ Right now, wenger is confronted by troubles wherever he turns. Five points off the Champions League positions and out of the FA Cup after sunday’s shock loss at the City Ground, the ‘wenger out’ brigade predicted this when the Frenchman, backed by majority shareholder stan Kroenke, signed a two-year extension to his contract. A trophyless season coupled with another year outside the top four and the calls for wenger to leave — from within the club and their fanbase — will become deafening. The idea of wenger walking away from the Emirates seems wishful thinking, however. After 21 years, why would he walk away from a contract now? He faced opposition from inside and outside the club last summer but still signed the extension. what wenger will face this summer is calls to provide a clear idea over whether he intends to stay as manager beyond 2019 or finally make way for a new man. His mindset is likely to depend on whether Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League again. wenger is set to field a stronger than usual starting XI in the Carabao Cup for tonight’s semi-final first-leg trip to Chelsea. It will include Alexis sanchez, despite his desire to join Manchester City. Chelsea rival Antonio Conte, meanwhile, is refusing to back down from his explosive feud with Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, insisting the vendetta is personal and nothing to do with the two clubs. The managers have been involved in a public spat over the past week, culminating in Conte branding Mourinho a ‘little man’ and a ‘fake’. Mourinho had brought up Conte’s previous suspension for match-fixing. Conte was cleared of the allegations by an Italian court. Conte was asked yesterday if he regrets the clash. ‘Have a look at this face, is it of a person that regrets? I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘I think we both said things and we’ll see what happens in the future. ‘I think it’s not important (if the League Managers’ Association get involved). He said serious words. And I won’t forget this. This is not a problem from the club, it’s a problem between me and him.’ Eden Hazard will be available tonight after missing the FA Cup third-round tie at Norwich last saturday with a minor calf problem.