Wenger blasts Liverpool & Newcastle ‘cheats’

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is on the whinge again.

This time Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Newcastle in the form of bad boy Joey Barton are the target of his accusations of cheating.

Arsenal forward Gervinho was sent off on his Premier League debut last August for raising his hands to Joey Barton.

It was an incident which enraged Wenger because of Barton’s (over)-reaction.

The Arsenal manager also insisted Liverpool striker Suarez dived over Gunners keeper Wojciech Szczesny’s challenge to win a penalty at Anfield last week – and then even pretended he had suffered an injury.

“At Newcastle, he had a bad response to provocation from our friend Barton,” Wenger said.

“Gervinho was shocked because he felt he didn’t do a lot. I think he learned his lesson in the first game and it’s better than learning it after 20 matches.

“It’s better to know what you are facing. If you want to play abroad, then you have to adapt to the local culture. It annoys me but it can happen with one of my players as well.

“But Suarez got the penalty last week. It was no penalty. Nobody touched him. I can understand if they push the ball too far, but when no one touches him... 

“But then when they roll down the sock, take the shin-pad out, like he has been kicked like mad. It’s a bit overboard.”

Wenger is desperate not to fall behind to Newcastle, even if their recent fight backs only serve to highlight the spirit in the dressing room.

He added: “It’s better not to go behind! But you do what you have to do to win and Newcastle are a team that has offensive strength, so a good defensive performance will be needed.

“We have a good spirit and our results are more consistent as a result. We have a flow in our game because maybe the ­confidence is higher.”

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