Taken via: The Sun
SANTI CAZORLA was caught up in a furious cheat storm yesterday.
The Arsenal star was accused of diving for the first of two Mikel Arteta penalties against West Brom.
Incredibly, Cazorla told Arsene Wenger he had been “touched”. But replays showed no contact between Cazorla and Steven Reid.
Baggies boss Steve Clarke said: “There was zero contact, it wasn’t even close.
“There was clear daylight between Reid and Cazorla.”
Baggies players were furious with Cazorla and ref Mike Jones.
Clarke said: “I’m not sure what the ref saw. It was a bad decision and changed the shape of the afternoon.
“It could’ve been a nervous afternoon for Arsenal, at 0-0 they hadn’t created much.”
Wenger admits his side got lucky with the opener — and he will look at footage of the incident and speak again to his midfielder if he felt there was a dive.
The Frenchman said: “We were a bit lucky maybe on the first penalty because he could have given it or not given it.
“I have spoken to Santi and he said he has been touched and lost his balance. Maybe he made more of it, I don’t know.
“When a player is touched, he goes down, the referee can give or not give the penalty.”
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was chopped by Chris Brunt for Arteta’s second penalty — but Baggies boss Clarke insisted Goran Popov was fouled in the build-up.
Clarke added: “For some reason the ref, who gave soft free-kicks all afternoon, decided not to give that one.
“There was also a penalty for us for a Per Mertesacker handball. It was the easy way out when you come to a big stadium.”
SANTI CAZORLA was caught up in a furious cheat storm yesterday.
The Arsenal star was accused of diving for the first of two Mikel Arteta penalties against West Brom.
Incredibly, Cazorla told Arsene Wenger he had been “touched”. But replays showed no contact between Cazorla and Steven Reid.
Baggies boss Steve Clarke said: “There was zero contact, it wasn’t even close.
“There was clear daylight between Reid and Cazorla.”
Baggies players were furious with Cazorla and ref Mike Jones.
Clarke said: “I’m not sure what the ref saw. It was a bad decision and changed the shape of the afternoon.
“It could’ve been a nervous afternoon for Arsenal, at 0-0 they hadn’t created much.”
Wenger admits his side got lucky with the opener — and he will look at footage of the incident and speak again to his midfielder if he felt there was a dive.
The Frenchman said: “We were a bit lucky maybe on the first penalty because he could have given it or not given it.
“I have spoken to Santi and he said he has been touched and lost his balance. Maybe he made more of it, I don’t know.
“When a player is touched, he goes down, the referee can give or not give the penalty.”
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was chopped by Chris Brunt for Arteta’s second penalty — but Baggies boss Clarke insisted Goran Popov was fouled in the build-up.
Clarke added: “For some reason the ref, who gave soft free-kicks all afternoon, decided not to give that one.
“There was also a penalty for us for a Per Mertesacker handball. It was the easy way out when you come to a big stadium.”
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