Arsene Wenger apologises for pushing fourth official, but is still likely to face FA charge

Arsene Wenger was forced to apologise after pushing fourth official Anthony Taylor as 10-man Arsenal snatched a last-gasp win over Burnley on Sunday to move up to second in the Premier League.

Arsene Wenger apologises for pushing fourth official, but is still likely to face FA charge

Arsene Wenger was forced to apologise after pushing fourth official Anthony Taylor as 10-man Arsenal snatched a last-gasp win over Burnley on Sunday to move up to second in the Premier League.

The Frenchman was sent from the touchline by referee Jon Moss after remonstrating over the award of an injury-time penalty to the Clarets.

He was then shown shoving Taylor as he attempted to watch the rest of the contest from the end of the tunnel, with Andre Gray seemingly grabbing just a second away point of the campaign for the visitors by converting from the spot.

But, with Wenger stewing in the dressing room alongside Granit Xhaka - who was dismissed for a lunge on Steven Defour just seven minutes after Shkodran Mustafi's first Arsenal goal had put them ahead - Moss levelled up the penalty count by awarding the Gunners their own spot-kick with just seconds remaining.

Alexis Sanchez stepped up to coolly convert with a Panenka penalty to earn Arsenal three points and take them above Liverpool and Tottenham.

But Wenger, who has now seen his side earn 10 points with goals in the final four minutes of games in the Premier League this season, was left answering questions about his own antics after the frenetic conclusion.

Asked about television replays showing him push the fourth official, Wenger said: "I regret everything. I should have shut up, gone in and go home. I apologise for that.

"Look, it was nothing bad. I said something that you hear every day in football. Overall nine times out of 10 you are not sent to the stand for that.

"If I am, I am, and I should have shut up completely. I was quite calm the whole game, more than usual, but just (not) in the last two or three minutes."

Wenger is likely to face a Football Association charge for his actions, with a fine and a touchline ban amongst his possible punishments.

Xhaka will be missing for the next four league games after picking up his second red card of the season - and his ninth for club and country since 2014 - and Wenger said the Switzerland international needs to rein in his temperament.

"The noises I get is that it was a red card and he has to control his game and not punish the team with lack of control in his tackling," he added.

"We don't encourage our midfielders to go down on tackles, we want them to stand up and not to make these kind of fouls. If it's a bad tackle it's a red card."

Meanwhile, Burnley boss Sean Dyche saw his 200th game in charge of the club end in another away-day defeat.

The 45-year-old was not happy with the outcome, having already seen Laurent Koscielny seal a late victory with a controversial winner in the reverse fixture at Turf Moor in October.

"Two last-minute incidents against the same side, home and away, has cost us two points," Dyche said.

"That's an unfortunate twist of fate that's for sure. We worked diligently to soften their threat. They get a lad sent off and then we've had to work hard to get something."

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