Man Charged for Alleged Arsene Wenger Confrontation at Southampton vs. Arsenal

The fan who appeared to confront Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger during the Gunners' 2-0 away defeat to Southampton has been charged by police. BBC News Hampshire and Isle of Wight reports that Hampshire man Luke Bryant was found in violation of the Football (Offences) Act of 1991.

Bryant is said to have violated the act by "going on to an area adjacent to the pitch."

The 25-year-old made it to pitch level and approached the Arsenal bench during the second half. His brief actions appeared to be directed at Wenger.

MailOnline Sport captured some images:

For his part, the Arsenal chief was quick to play down the incident. Wenger said the fan, whom he believed to be a Southampton supporter, was "not aggressive at all," per Sam Cunningham of Mail Online.

However, Cunningham has also reported that Southampton believe Bryant is an Arsenal fan who opted to purchase a ticket among the home fans.

While that will likely be clarified in the coming days, it's clear Wenger is under more pressure this season than at any other time during his Arsenal tenure.

He has experienced several instances of supporter unrest this season. Fans unfurled a banner asking for Wenger to call time on his career during the Gunners' 1-0 away win over West Bromwich Albion in November.

The Frenchman was also subjected to abuse after his team lost 3-2 at Stoke City in early December.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Wenger's current squad has so far stumbled through this Premier League season. The defeat to Southampton was the club's fifth in the league. Four of those defeats have come away from home.

Wenger is facing unprecedented unrest as he tries to move Arsenal from sixth place back into the top four.