OUTFOXED WENGER IN REF RANT
Arsene fumes over red card and penalty
IN THE penultimate game of the ‘merci Arsene’ tour, Arsenal’s manager saw a remarkable record slip from his fingers. Not in 20 Premier League meetings across 22 years had Arsene Wenger lost to Leicester. Until last night.
His side played with ten men for 75 minutes and conceded a late penalty that swung this game. Graham Scott sent off Konstantinos Mavropanos for hauling down Kelechi Iheanacho after quarter of an hour. Then, 15 minutes from time, he pointed to the spot after Henrikh Mkhitaryan had unnecessarily kicked Demarai Gray in the area.
Wenger fumed about both decisions, citing ‘creativity’ on Scott’s part, but it was a silly challenge for the penalty and an understandable call.
Jamie Vardy hammered the penalty into the top corner for his sixth goal in as many games against Arsenal — and gave Gareth Southgate reason for optimism ahead of any penalty shootouts at the World Cup.
Claude Puel also had cause to look on fondly. Had his side been unable to put away a team playing a man down for such a long period, Wenger would certainly not be the only French manager bidding au revoir at the end of the season.
Victory over his mentor may have come too late for Puel as it is, but beating Arsenal in front of the club’s Thai owners cannot have harmed his chances to survive the sack.
Puel’s celebrations remained reserved, however, when Riyad Mahrez swept in a third in the final minute. As the seconds ticked down there was a spontaneous show of appreciation for Wenger when the home crowd rose to applaud him as the away fans gave a late chorus saluting their departing manager. Leicester supporters even asked for and received a wave from Wenger.
But it was far from an authentic Arsenal display, despite Wenger’s claims afterwards that this side would challenge for the title next season.
They were hollow words lacking conviction and a sequence that now reads seven successive away losses provides compelling evidence to the contrary.
It is the first time that has happened since 1966, so a positive omen for England at least. le ‘Overall it’s very sad, we lost lo a game we should not have h lost,’ Wenger said.
‘I disagree with the red card because Rob Holding would have caught him. The penalty iss a creative, imaginative aspect a from the referee. It is a nice n dive.’
The lack of praise for Puel, who he managed for seven years at Monaco, struck as slightly bitter. Leicester were already a 1-0 up — thanks to Iheanacho’s Ih left-footed shot — when w Mavropanos saw red.
The 20-year-old Mavropanos has h impressed with his physical approach of late, but pulling down Iheanacho, who was through on goal, was the wrong kind of touch-tight.
Wenger sacrificed Danny Welbeck to send on Shkodran Mustafi before 20 minutes were up and the rest of the half was saving practice for Petr Cech. He stopped a sharp Iheanacho drive, a low Adrien Silva free-kick, and another from Iheanacho that was perhaps his best of the lot.
Mkhitaryan drew a fine onehanded save from Eldin Jakupovic after a slick break. And after Saed Kolasinac had hit the post Arsenal equalised in the 53rd minute.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles beat Fousseni Diabate to cross for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who fired in the rebound after his first shot was saved.
But without Jack Wilshere, who was absent as his wife had gone into labour, or the rested Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal were susceptible.
Leicester nearly extended their lead when Vardy played in Diabate, but Cech took the sting out of the shot so Mustafi could clear off the line. But the Arsenal goalkeeper could find no answer to Vardy or Mahrez later on so Puel could record only his fifth win in 20 games.
‘I think it was a great performance, with good intensity, a lot of chances, congratulations for my players,’ said Puel. LEICESTER (4-2-3-1): Jakupovic 7; Simpson 7 (Dragovic 82), Morgan 7, Maguire 7.5, Fuchs 7; Choudhury 7, Silva 7; Mahrez 7, IHEANACHO 8 (Barnes 88), Diabate 7 (Gray 72, 6.5), Vardy 7.
Subs not used: Hamer, Iborra, Benalouane, Thomas.
Scorers: Iheanacho 14, Vardy 76 (pen), Mahrez 90. Booked: Simpson, Mahrez.
Manager: Claude Puel 7. ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech 7.5; MaitlandNiles 7, Holding 6, Mavropanos 4, Kolasinac 6; Ramsey 7, Xhaka 5; Mkhitaryan 6.5, Welbeck 6 (Mustafi 19, 6), Iwobi 6 (Nketiah 84); Aubameyang 7.
Subs not used: Ospina, Mertesacker, Nelson, Osei-Tutu, Willock. Scorer: Aubameyang 53. Booked: Holding, Xhaka. Sent off: Mavropanos. Manager: Arsene Wenger 6. Referee: Graham Scott 8.
Attendance: 32,095.