Chelsea players confront referee Alan Wiley
Arsenal midfielder Gilberto has criticised Chelsea for putting
referee Alan Wiley under pressure by repeatedly surrounding him in
Sunday's 1-1 draw. When Ashley Cole received a first-half booking,
a number of Chelsea players grouped round Wiley and Blues boss Jose
Mourinho marched down the touchline.
"They should respect the referee more," Gilberto told BBC Radio
Five Live. "All their fouls there were two, three, four players
around the referee putting him under pressure.
In the second half, following an incident involving Arsenal
goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, Wiley
waved away a number of Blues players as the referee spoke to his
linesmen.
Gilberto added: "It's not good because the referee tried to do his
best. If he is under pressure it is much more difficult. "They know
the referee was doing his job very, very well. "Especially when
Ashley Cole got booked, they tried to put him under pressure to
book our players. It's not the kind of game everybody wants to
see."
Chelsea captain John Terry is currently facing a Football
Association improper conduct charge following comments he made
about referee Graham Poll. Terry claimed Poll had given him
conflicting reasons for his second yellow card in the 2-1 defeat
against Tottenham on 5 November.
He has until 15 December to respond to the charge.
