Arsene Wenger Deserves Minimum 6-Game Ban for Anthony Taylor Push, Says Ex-Ref
Former referee Keith Hackett has called on the Football Association to hand Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger at least a six-game ban after he pushed match official Anthony Taylor on Sunday.
Wenger was sent off for his reaction after referee Jon Moss awarded Burnley a 93rd-minute penalty during the game at the Emirates Stadium. When Taylor, the fourth official on the day, motioned for the angry manager to walk down the tunnel, the Frenchman shoved him.
Writing for the Daily Telegraph, Hackett, also an ex-referees' chief, suggested strong action needs to be taken against the Gunners boss.
"For the sake of every official at every level of the game, the FA must throw the book at Arsene Wenger after his disgraceful behaviour on Sunday," he said. "They need to send out a strong, clear message—officials are sacrosanct, and if you lay hands on them, you will pay a heavy price."
Hackett added that a six-game ban should be the "absolute minimum" punishment for the veteran manager.
Former Premier League referee Graham Poll also called for a substantial sanction for the Arsenal manager in his column for the Daily Mail.
"Wenger and his team have benefitted from plenty of 'close calls' by officials this season, and he should have remembered that and stayed calm," he said.
Andre Gray netted the aforementioned penalty to level the scores at 1-1, although Arsenal's blushes were spared in the 98th minute, as Moss awarded them a spot-kick that Alexis Sanchez converted.
Wenger conceded after the contest that he was in the wrong. "I should have shut up—I apologise for not having done that," the Arsenal boss said, per BBC Sport. "It was nothing malicious. I should have kept my control, even if it was in a hectic time."
Indeed, as noted by Martyn Ziegler of The Times, although both managers were unhappy with the officiating on display, the majority of the decisions Moss made seemed to be correct:
After a drab opening period, the match came alive in the second half. Shkodran Mustafi's header put Arsenal ahead in the 59th minute, although six minutes later, the Gunners were down to 10 men, as Granit Xhaka rightly saw red for a lunge on Steven Defour.
Burnley's penalty appeared to be clear-cut, too, as Francis Coquelin tripped Ashley Barnes in the area. The most controversial call of the day went in Arsenal's favour, as Laurent Koscielny appeared to be offside before he won the decisive penalty for his team, with Ben Mee's high foot catching the defender.
"To lose a game in that fashion, with an offside not given, is tough, particularly when you come to tough places like this," aggrieved Burnley boss Sean Dyche said, per BBC Sport. "We know how tough this division is but you need officials to make the right decisions and that is the shame today."
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News is already looking forward to how other managers react to any punishment Wenger receives:
Wenger's reaction looked born out of pure frustration, as he can have little complaint about any of the decisions that went against his side.
Should he be banished to the stand for a run of games, it'd be a major blow for the Gunners, who are trying to make up ground in the Premier League title race. This memorable win pushed Arsenal into second spot, although they remain eight points back on runaway leaders Chelsea.
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