Cook left to stew after Jack finds net
LATICS boss Paul Cook felt “key incidents” went against his side in their frustrating home defeat at the hands of the Rams.
Jack Marriott grabbed the only goal after just 20 minutes, a lovely header at the far post from Jayden Bogle’s right-wing cross.
The hosts had been reduced to 10 men five minutes earlier after Kal Naismith allowed Harry Wilson to get clean through and was forced to pull him down on the edge of the box.
Wilson was then involved in two flashpoints, when he and Wigan skipper Sam Morsy were both yellow-carded for going head-to-head at the end of the first half, before the Welsh international escaped a second caution in the final quarter despite going to ground under little or no contact from Dan Burn.
“I’d like to see the sendingoff again but I don’t want to get drawn into a debate like this,” said Cook. “I think Wilson’s a quality player but there’s key incidents in the game and he was involved in one in the second half.
“The referee is telling us he’s slipped but it would be interesting to see it again.
“It’s always in the penalty area where people seem to slip – and he’d already been booked.
“These are big moments in games. He’s managed to give the red card in the first half very quickly.
“And I feel on reflection if he looks at the one in the second half it’s amazing the penalty area is the place he chose to slip.”
Unsurprisingly, opposite number Frank Lampard took an alternative view.
“I haven’t seen it again but I thought in the first half there was a foul on Harry and a blatant attempt to try to get him sent off, to even the game up,” said the Derby boss.
“And I’m not just having a go at Morsy, he was involved in the tackle and it’s not his fault.
“But the reaction of the crowd and the pressure on the referee and Harry throughout the game was an attempt to level the game.”
HIPPY CRACK? More hip, hip hooray as LucasTorreira proved why he is becoming such a fans’ favourite for Arsenal.
The little Uruguayan struck three minutes from time to stretch their unbeaten record to 21 games.
But it was hard work. Huddersfield made them fight for victory.
Arsenal only enjoyed the sweet smell of success because of Torreira’s fighting qualities and the fact the Terriers didn’t have a striker to finish off some fine moves.
After a week in which pictures allegedly showed players inhaling nitrous oxide from balloons, the only thing flying high yesterday was Torreira as he crashed in a late volleyed winner.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery refused to acknowledge the off-field headlines the club had been making in the week.
He said: “Maybe you are speaking about the problem outside here but for me, the club and outside, we can speak about that and no distraction.
“I don’t want any distraction and today the players are focused on the match. We wanted it and we deserved to win. I can’t tell you if I have spoken to the players.
“Patience is the key word today. I wanted us to win more quickly but we needed to be patient.
“We can improve more and today we spoke that we want to win matches with more control. But we are very competitive and showed character.”
The away side made a good fist of it. Seven players were booked in a no-holds-barred first half with Arsenal being the main culprits.
The visitors came ready for a battle having Alex Pritchard, Tommy Smith and Danny Williams booked. But