Wenger on dubious Welbeck penalty: Are you calling English players divers?
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will certainly be relieved after dispatching AC Milan in Europa League action on Thursday, but took some time to address one particular moment of controversy in his own unique way - by suggesting that English players don't usually dive.
The incident in question? The penalty awarded to Danny Welbeck in the 39th minute, which came during a run into the box and the slightest of contact with Ricardo Rodriguez. It was a contentious decision, with many pointing out that Welbeck dove on the play in hopes of drawing the penalty call - a reward he then successfully took himself.
"I haven't seen it again," Wenger said of the supposed foul, as quoted by Sky Sports. "Do you want to accuse English players of being divers?
"There's two things: Was it a penalty or not? I don't know. The Italian players were unhappy with it. I can understand that, because I don't really know what it was. After that, Danny took the penalty in a convincing way, and I will watch it again and give my honest feeling about it.
"I will give him my honest feeling about it as well (if I view it as a dive), don't worry."
The controversial moment was hardly the turning point of the matchup, as the Gunners went into the match holding a 2-0 away lead from the first leg, and added to it for a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate victory upon the final whistle.
It sees the London-based side into the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The quarter-final round draw will take place on Friday, following the draw for the Champions League quarter-final matchups