Anelka did not deserve dismissal, says Cole

Arsenal 2 Manchester City 1

Even Cole insisted that Anelka had not deserved the straight dismissal, which will lead to a three-game ban, after they fought over the ball when the Frenchman had just pulled the scoreline back to 2-1.

However, referee Alan Wiley not only enraged City by dismissing Anelka but also in showing Cole only a yellow card, while no action at all was taken against Edu, who also charged in to the melee. City boss Kevin Keegan, who insisted Wiley had a “poor game,” felt “aggrieved” as his side also questioned whether they should have been awarded free-kicks in the build-up to Arsenal’s two goals.

He added: “Nicolas felt that he was elbowed. You will never see him react to anything, so whatever Ashley Cole did obviously annoyed him. It probably looked like Nicolas was the aggressor but, nine times out of 10, the people who start it get off scot-free. I don’t think football has ever been any different to that.

“I’ve never seen Nicolas retaliate before. He’s been kicked, hacked and had some severe punishment from defenders, so something happened there which got him angry.”

Television replays appeared to show that Cole may not have actually elbowed Anelka, but still flailed out an arm towards the striker, who then pushed him in the head as he attempted to retrieve the ball as time was fast running out.

Cole, who used to be Anelka’s Highbury team-mate, insisted: “I feel sorry for him as I only did the same as him. He shouldn’t have done what he did, but I don’t think he should have been sent off. It should’ve either been a yellow or red card for both of us.”

Arsene Wenger defended Cole, as well as Edu, even though he admitted his surprise at his former protege’s reaction.

“I didn’t see that Ashley pushed him Nicolas in the face. If the replays show it, then it’s the referee’s problem. He’s made the decision and he was very close to the action,” he declared.

“I wasn’t worried at all that Ashley might get sent off though. He took the ball when it was in the net and we’ve seen that before without creating a national scandal.”

He added: “I was surprised by Nicolas’ reaction as he is usually very quiet. He wasn’t happy and pushed Ashley.”

While Wenger was content at his side regaining the Premiership lead, while substitute Jose Reyes made his debut, Keegan was unhappy at his side’s 12th consecutive failure to win a league game.

After all, City felt that Anelka had been fouled by Gilberto Silva in the build-up to Arsenal’s first strike, an own goal by Michael Tarnat from Henry’s cross.

The visitors also questioned whether Robbie Fowler had been tripped by Sol Campbell before Henry struck a superb 20-yard drive to make it 2-0.

“I feel a bit aggrieved. I just felt that the decisions went against us,” insisted Keegan. “I’d like to have seen a couple of these decisions if they’d been the other way around. Then we could have been looking at a different result.

“Arsenal are a great side and we couldn’t have done anything about Henry’s goal, but I don’t think the referee had a good day. I like the referee, I get on very well with most of them and don’t criticise them publicly but you have to answer questions honestly.

“I just thought he had a poor game. We all have them and he’s had one tonight.”

It gave new buy, Jose Antonio Reyes a close hand view of the ugly, as well as the good and the bad of English football. The good was an exquisite 20-yard strike by Thierry Henry which confirmed the Gunners’ victory against a spirited Manchester City side. The bad was the own goal by Michael Tarnat which put Arsenal ahead, albeit with the visitors left aggrieved as they claimed they should have been awarded a free-kick before the Gunners broke clear.

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Toure, Campbell, Lauren, Cole, Pires (Cygan 84), Ljungberg (Edu 59), Parlour, Silva, Bergkamp (Reyes 69), Henry.

MAN CITY: James, Distin, Jihai, Tarnat, Dunne, Reyna (McManaman 76), Barton, Bosvelt (Fowler 76), Sinclair, Wright-Phillips, Anelka.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).