Wenger fumes at Stoke fans’ Ramsey taunt

ARSENE WENGER last night condemned Stoke City fans for chants mocking Aaron Ramsey’s broken leg. The Arsenal midfielder’s career stalled for nine months after a Ryan Shawcross tackle in 2010. Ramsey has always been booed on subsequent returns to the Britannia Stadium but Stoke fans took that up a notch yesterday by singing ‘Aaron Ramsey, he walks with a limp’. And Wenger claimed afterwards that thousands would feel shame if they watched back the footage. ‘I shut my ears and think that’s the best way to deal with it,’ he said. ‘When people get together they sometimes forget their individual responsibility. ‘Maybe when you go home and watch it on television you are less proud.’ Wenger’s men emerged from all the hostility with a hard-earned draw and a place back on top of the table, albeit level on points again with Leicester City. The fact that Arsenal have now won only once at the Britannia Stadium in eight attempts since Stoke returned to the top flight in 2008 emphasises why it has become one of Wenger’s unhappiest hunting grounds. ‘Looking at the history we have here, it’s a positive result,’ the Frenchman agreed afterwards. That solitary victory six years ago was a hollow one indeed because it was overshadowed by the horrific double leg break suffered by Ramsey in that challenge with Stoke skipper Shawcross. Bad blood has festered between the two clubs ever since and the noise level is always a few decibels higher when Wenger brings his team to the Potteries. Strangely over the years, Ramsey has become a target for the Stoke fans, who cheered yesterday when he pulled up after receiving a whack in the back of the leg from Glen Johnson. The decision of the local sponsors to vote Shawcross as their Man of the Match when it should clearly have gone to one of the two goalkeepers, Petr Cech or Jack Butland, could easily be viewed as an act of mischief. ‘An old-fashioned Stoke battle’ was how Wenger described it, even though home boss Mark Hughes didn’t agree. ‘I’m not sure what game he’s been watching,’ said Hughes. ‘I was delighted with our performance. I don’t know why the physical aspect of the game has to be mentioned.’