Wenger rage: He hits out at Liverpool's 'dodgy' penalty

zocoss SG

Anger: Arsene Wenger question the referee's decision

Arsene Wenger blamed a 'dodgy' penalty decision for Arsenal's Champions League exit as Liverpool set up another semi-final showdown with Chelsea in controversial style at Anfield last night. Angry Wenger claimed his side had suffered an injustice as Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt pointed to the spot just seconds after Emmanuel Adebayor appeared to have given Arsenal victory on away goals in the 84th-minute.

Steven Gerrard converted it and Ryan Babel added a fourth in added time to leave Arsenal's exasperated manager rueing his luck over penalty decisions and bemoaning his side's inability to see out the final six minutes, after Adebayor had made it 2-2 on the night.

Reflecting on Dirk Kuyt's unpenalised tug on Alexander Hleb's shirt in the first leg, and Kolo Toure's slight contact with Babel last night, Wenger said: 'Those penalties were the difference. Last week, a clear penalty to us was not given. Now, a dodgy one goes against us.

'It was not a penalty. All the big decisions went against us. 'Sometimes, you have to swallow what you can't swallow, 'It is disappointment after disappointment, week after week. They are in shock. 'They feel it was an injustice, and they are having great difficulty accepting what has happened. 'If you lose to a team who finish on top, OK.

Fall-guy: Toure tussled with Babel (top), lost him (middle) and then put an arm round him

'But that was not the impression we had. We didn't help ourselves with a lack of concentration so soon after scoring our second goal. 'We were through after controlling so much of the game, but we showed a lack of maturity defensively and it cost us. 'I thought we showed fantastic mental strength to come back from 2-1 down, and we should have gone on and scored a third.

'But we've have made too many big mistakes at the back.' Rafa Benitez admitted he feared Adebayor's late equaliser, following a dazzling run by Theo Walcott, had ended Liverpool's dream. 'I feared the worst but the players showed great character to come back like that,' said the Liverpool boss.

'The difference was the belief they showed. Their confidence and quality shone through. 'Now it is Chelsea again, and another tough tie. 'But I intend enjoying tonight because it was another great European occasion at Anfield and a really great match.'

Despite displaying nerves of steel to fire home the all-important 86th-minute penalty in front of the Kop, Gerrard was scathing about his overall contribution. 'That was one of my worst performances in a Liverpool shirt, but I was always confident I'd stick the penalty away,' he said.

'It wasn't about the goalscorers, though because that was a fantastic team performance. 'There were times when Arsenal passed us off the pitch, but we never lost our belief. 'It would probably be unfair on Arsenal to say the better team won over the two games, because they had a lot of possession and showed what a great team they are. 'But we showed what we're about over two legs. We're ready for anyone now.'

Gerrard relished the prospect of Liverpool's third semi-final with Chelsea in four seasons, saying: 'We're ready for them. I honestly feel that over two matches, we're a match for anyone, particularly when you consider the crowd factor. 'Some teams find it impossible here.'

bryanw SG

zocoss SG

Wenger hurt by unjust exit

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes refereeing decisions went against his side in the two UEFA Champions League quarter-final legs against Liverpool. The Gunners were knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday evening as they succumbed to 4-2 loss at Anfield - losing the tie 5-3 on aggregate. And Wenger has hit out at referee Peter Frojdfeldt's decision to award Liverpool an 85th minute penalty after Kolo Toure made contact with Ryan Babel in the penalty area.

The Frenchman also pointed to last week's first leg when referee Pieter Vink chose not to award his side a penalty when Dirk Kuyt challenged Alexander Hleb in the box at The Emirates.

"I believe it (the loss on Tuesday) is down to a dodgy decision from the referee and a lack of concentration at 2-2," he said on Sky Sports News. "It is difficult to swallow. It is a double disappointment because all the big decisions went against us and with three minutes to go we were qualified.

"It is very difficult for me to understand because for me it was not a penalty. I have watched it clearly again. Last week it was a real penalty. But we have to accept that. "We were too naive, we lacked a bit of maturity defensively. We had so much control.

"The mental strength of the team was fantastic tonight. It was down to lack of experience. "This team has plenty of talent and potential but we lacked that little bit of extra confidence. "Tonight we have a feeling of disappointment and injustice."

bryanw SG

Y_Shun SG

Anyway, I think Toure was just trying to balance himself by using Babel to support him....tsk, feel sad for Arsenal.

brokenluv SG

well, besides the penalty, maybe they should have dealt with babel before he even got to run at high speed, but then again at such at late stage they are all fatigue.

look at how fabregas was trying to catch up with babel for the last goal, he already run very fast even tho its in the dying minutes of the game

Qing^.^ SG

In fairness, looking at the penalty decision or non-decision for this tie, both were penalties.

Kuyt pulling(yanking imo ) Hleb's arm was certainly a penalty.

And Toure did 'touched' Babel when he was bursting through and at such a high speed run a minimal touch can cause the player to lose his balance.

Only difference is one was given and one wasn't. I am glad I support the team that had the rub of the green

stellazio SG

Arsenal was desperately unlucky. The referee was influenced by the home crowd. The penalty decision against kuyt and the blocked goal by bendtner.. super unlucky.

omgukilledkenny SG

Reaction from the Arsenal bloggers, who are not a happy bunch this morning...

Arseblog

"Ryan Babel burst into our box and went down under the softest of challenges from Kolo Toure. The ref's decision was immediate and final: penalty. Was it anywhere near as clear a foul as the one on Aleksandr Hleb in the first leg? Would we have been awarded a penalty at Anfield in identical circumstances? Would Liverpool have even got the penalty at the other end, without the baying Kop? The answer to all of those three is a resounding: 'No'." Gunnerblog

"Sixty seconds was all that it took for a night of glory to be destroyed, a collective loss of concentration. When the game was there to be seen out quietly, the team were unable to do so. To lay the blame of elimination at the door of Kolo Toure is unfair; it was the pivotal moment of the night but this was a tie that had three such incidents that ultimately led to Arsenal's exit. If the referee correctly pointed to the spot last night - there was contact and in this day and age, you touch your opponent with your arm, it is seven times out of ten going to be a penalty - then his peer in the first leg was equally wrong to deny Hleb and if only Nicklas Bendtner could jump a foot higher. A tie of 'what ifs' if ever there was one." A Cultured Left Foot

"The best I normally wish for Chelsea Football Club is immediate death. But for one two legged tie I hope and pray they pound that shower of flukey, league shirking, fourth place, history surfing, not mounted a title challenge for 17 years, Scouse chancers into the oblivion their season merits." Goodplaya

"Wenger has built a side that is capable of playing some of the brilliant possession football we witnessed last night, and in Milan, against quality opposition. Yet he has failed to equip them mentally with what's required to win matches once their talent with the ball has put them in the box seat. Is this down to the quality of the players or the quality of the coaching? My suspicion is that it's a bit of both." Online Gooner

"Arsenal is the fifth wealthiest club in the world, why are they turning a profit in the transfer window? What future glories are so great that one can pass up a shot at the title or the Champions League? Why have they gone two months without playing decent football? Wenger scoffs at the outrageous sums spent for Torres and Babel, yet these are the two players who killed his team's hopes today." EPL Talk

zocoss SG

Arsenal defender Gael Clichy is not blaming the referee for their Champions League exit but their "ridiculous" capitulation.

The Gunners were just seven minutes away from the Champions League semi-finals when Liverpool were awarded a controversial penalty.

The tie was in their hands at 3-3 on aggregate but the game ended 5-3 after Steven Gerrard's penalty following Kolo Toure's challenge on Ryan Babel and the Dutchman's final goal.

But Clichy - in a refreshing burst of honesty - refuses to blame referee Peter Frojdfeldt's decision for their exit and instead wonders at their ability to shoot themselves in the foot.

"We did well to score the first goal and to come back and get the game to 2-2. And at that point we were through. But what happened after that was really disappointing," he told the Evening Standard.

"To concede a goal like this, whether it is a penalty or not a penalty, may be disappointing but it is not unlucky.

"It is unreal to have had a chance like this, to score the equaliser and get to 2-2 and then to concede a goal only a few seconds after kick off. I can't find the words for it. It is just ridiculous."

That is in stark contrast to the views of Arsene Wenger and defender Kolo Toure, who both suggested that defeat was attributable to the referee.