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'Unfair' treatment angers Wenger

Robin van Persie
Arsenal have now gone three games since their last victory

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels his side are being treated unfairly by referees after seeing the Gunners fail to win their third successive game.

After Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Fenerbahce, Wenger said: "Look at the fair play table. Who is top? Arsenal.

"Look at the team that makes less fouls - it is Arsenal. Who gets more yellow cards after four or five fouls? Us."

Wenger blamed his side's failure to break down Fenerbahce, who they beat 5-2 away, on Premier League fatigue.

The Frenchman believes Liverpool's 1-1 home draw against Atletico Madrid and Chelsea's 3-1 defeat away to Roma suggest England's Champions League representatives are struggling to cope with playing European football just three or four days after their last domestic match.

"If you look overall at the results of the English teams none of them had lost until now in the Champions League," said Wenger.

Sometimes in England we feel 'he didn't fancy that' - of course we didn't fancy that (Stoke) because that is not football

Arsene Wenger
"This week none of them have won. That is maybe explainable by the fact that last weekend everyone gave a lot in the Premier League and had a little bit less resources this week to play well in the Champions League.

"I watched Liverpool and they drew, Chelsea were not sharp physically, we were not sharp physically and it looks like the Premier League is very demanding physically.

"If you have a Premier League week and Champions League week after it is difficult."

It is the second time in five days Wenger has questioned the protection Arsenal were receiving from officials.

At the weekend Wenger claimed Stoke had used overly aggressive tactics during their 2-0 win over the Gunners.

Wenger added: "I responded to some statements made by a Stoke player (Thomas Sorensen).

Spain's Finest Gooner

"I wasn't happy with some tackles and wanted to say that you don't have to be brave to tackle from behind.

"The brave one is the guy who tries to play football. Why should I regret that? I maintain that strongly. It is not bitterness after a defeat.

"Sometimes in England we feel 'he didn't fancy that'. Of course we didn't fancy that because that is not football.

"Of course we are ready to battle. But it depends what you mean by battle."

Wenger, who already has a long list of players in the treatment room, suffered another injury blow after seeing Mikael Silvestre sustain a suspected broken nose before the end of the Champions League Group G game with Fenerbahce.

It was a match Wenger felt the Gunners should have won but he said they were feeling the effects of playing three games in seven days last week.

"In the second half we dropped physically and were less dangerous from then on," Wenger said. "We were not sharp enough to put our strikers into good position.

"You expect us to make chances in the last 20 minutes and this didn't come because physically we didn't have the resources."

Arsenal's next match is at home to Manchester United on Saturday and midfielder Cesc Fabregas added: "We have to keep going.

The United match is massive. This is welcomed because it's a big game and big players want to play in big games.


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see also
Arsenal 0-0 Fenerbahce
05 Nov 08 |  Europe
Champions League as it happened
05 Nov 08 |  Europe
Champions League photos
05 Nov 08 |  Football
Player Rater
16 Sep 08 |  Europe
Stoke 2-1 Arsenal
01 Nov 08 |  Premier League
Arsenal 4-4 Tottenham
29 Oct 08 |  Premier League

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