Thierry Henry claims his confrontation
with Chris Kirkland was 'just a joke', insisting he was annoyed by
the Wigan Athletic goalkeeper's time-wasting.
After Arsenal had equalised at Emirates
Stadium through Fitz Hall's own goal, Henry taunted Kirkland by
offering the keeper the ball.
The Gunners captain was booked for his gesture, but has played down
the seriousness of his actions, claiming he was merely responding
to Kirkland's time-wasting.
"Kirkland started to waste time from the first minute," said
Henry.
"This is one of the games when I have run the most because I was
trying to get the ball off him.
"When we scored I asked him if he wanted to waste any more
time.
"It was just a joke, but it was a bit annoying."
Arsene Wenger backed his striker in the row, which cast a cloud
over Arsenal's comeback in recording a 2-1 success.
"Thierry was upset, but what he did, for me, was right," said
Wenger.
"People do not pay money to see people waste time, they come to see
football.
"Okay, he should not have done that, but it is not the biggest
insult we have seen in football.
"The time-wasting started in the first half - the goalkeeper kept
crossing over his area to take kicks."
