Wenger counts cost of Gunners’ final brawl

ARSENAL were last night left counting the cost of losing their composure during the closing stages of the Carling Cup final as Emmanuel Adebayor’s red card was upheld and defender Emmanuel Eboue was charged by the FA for his part in the brawl at the Millennium Stadium.

The melee had been sparked following a confrontation between Chelsea midfielder Mikel Jon Obi and Gunners skipper Kolo Toure during the closing stages on Sunday, with players and coaches from both sides becoming involved.

Once calm had finally been restored, Toure and Mikel were both shown straight red cards by referee Howard Webb, with Adebayor also dismissed following consultation with his assistant.

The Togo striker — whose reaction to the decision prompted a separate FA charge on Monday — had lodged an appeal, which along with Mikel’s was rejected.

Adebayor, like with Arsenal centre-back Toure, will now serve an immediate three-match ban, ruling them out of tonight’s FA Cup fifth-round replay at Blackburn.

As it was Mikel’s second sending off of the season, the Chelsea midfielder will see out an extra game’s suspension.

It is, though, yesterday’s separate charges levied on both clubs as well as Adebayor and Eboue individually which could prove more costly, particularly for Arsenal.

Eboue has been charged with violent conduct for striking Chelsea’s Wayne Bridge during the melee, while Adebayor, whose appeal yesterday was not based on mistaken identity, has also been cited following his reaction to being shown a red card.

Each club can expect a heavy fine, while if found guilty under the FA’s disciplinary system, Eboue and Adebayor are likely to face suspension, which would come at a crucial stage of the season.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger expressed his regret over the incident.

“I feel we should not have reacted at all. Overall we are sorry for what happened. When you do not behave like you want to then you have to apologise,” Wenger said.

“We want to focus on playing football well. We want to deal well with the frustrations (of football) and want to be exemplary.

“But we also want to remind people that we have been top of the fair play table twice in the last few years.

“Also this year we are the team who have committed the least fouls in the league and been the most fouled against.”

Eboue will discover his fate later this week at a hearing of the FA disciplinary commission.

All three players will, however, still be available for their respective sides’ Champions League last 16 second leg clashes next week, with that being a UEFA competition.