Bergkamp pleads innocence over Bowyer clash

Dennis Bergkamp insisted Arsenal will not be psyched out of the title race as referee Mike Dean held the key to whether the Dutchman will face a second video trial of the season.

Bergkamp defended his reputation immediately after yesterday’s win over West Ham following claims he had caught Lee Bowyer in the head with his arm.

The Dutchman insisted any contact was merely accidental, but the Football Association have still called for a copy of the match video.

“As is always the case, the FA will await the officials’ match reports before considering what, if any, action is to be taken,” their website, www.theFA.com, revealed.

Bergkamp’s fate therefore lies primarily in the hands of referee Dean, who must now inform the FA in his official match report whether he clearly saw the incident in question.

If he did but decided to take no action, there is nothing the FA can do to overrule a referee.

But if he did not, Bergkamp is facing his second misconduct hearing of the season having earlier been fined after video evidence was reviewed of his clash with Blackburn’s Nils-Eric Johansson.

The Dutchman is by no means a dirty player but has a tendency to stretch out both arms when holding up the ball, thereby running the risk of connecting with opponents.

The worst-case scenario for Arsenal is that he could now be suspended for three matches just when they are trying to defend or even extend their five-point advantage at the top of the table.

This was the first time Arsenal have led the table at Christmas under Wenger having previously come from behind in their Double-winning seasons of 1997-98 and 2001-02.

However, they show no signs of cracking yet, having responded in kind for two weeks running when their main rivals, Manchester United, have played 24 hours before them and won.

Alex Ferguson even attempted to crank up the pressure on Saturday by warning Arsenal that United will never give up their pursuit.

However, Bergkamp insisted: “These last two weeks, it was important to respond to their good win and we’ve done well in these situations. Maybe we are getting a bit used to being top.

“United are having a good period with some good results. The only thing we have to do is focus on our own game and not be too worried about the table or other teams.

“We are managing to do that now and hopefully we can continue to do that as I’m sure there will be more pressure from them and other teams.

“We are hungry for more and it shows as we work for each other and want to improve ourselves.”

The unflappable Dutchman added: “Of course, you could get a bit under pressure in those situations but I think we can deal with those things now.

“In previous seasons, we came from behind and put pressure on other teams. It’s the other way round now but hopefully we can keep it up.”