Chelsea's `divers' leave Wenger seeing red

Arsene Wenger risked the wrath of the English Football Association yesterday by branding Arsenal's English League Cup conquerors Chelsea "experienced divers" and calling semi-final referee Graham Poll's decision to send off Patrick Vieira "absolutely ridiculous". Wenger couched his words in the calm, calculated manner of a man who has had nearly 48 hours to cool his frustrations after a stormy Stamford Bridge battle which left him with a bitter sense of injustice and a daunting injury list for today's Highbury Premiership match with Crystal Palace.

But Wenger needed no second invitation to blast Chelsea, especially their new player-boss Gianluca Vialli and captain Dennis Wise.

And the Arsenal manager also panned referee Poll who dished out 10 yellow cards and one red on Wednesday night - and then appeared 24 hours later on a television show in which he took up an invitation to justify his decisions. "I think he should have stayed at home - on both nights," Wenger said yesterday.

The Referees' Association won't like that remark and might well ask the FA to censure Wenger. And Chelsea will be tempted to nickname the Highbury chief "Arsenal Whinger" for trying to take the gloss off their triumph in beating the Gunners for the first time in four acrimonious meetings this season.

Even before the bitterly-fought second leg of the League Cup semi-final they had two of the worst disciplinary records in the League this season.

But there is no doubt about Wenger's sincere and heartfelt motivation. He wants to see the spirit of the game - which was sadly lacking in Wednesday's often ugly confrontation - restored to at least a degree of dignity.

He admitted: "I'm very disappointed because it seemed everything went against us. We were not angels on the pitch but you have to say that if Vieira was sent off then 10 other players could have gone off before and after him."

Wenger claimed immediately after the game that Mark Hughes should have been sent off instead of just being cautioned in the first 10 minutes for three consecutive bad fouls before he scored Chelsea's first goal.

And that clearly doubled his anguish over Vieira's compulsory exit soon after the interval for a second yellow card.

"The first booking against Vieira was absolutely ridiculous because for me it is a dive by Vialli. I cannot agree with Patrick's sending off and there is no chance I will fine him for it even though I have done that with players at the club before when I have believed they were wrong in their actions.

"I said to our players who had been booked before halftime that it was very important not to be involved in anything that might bring a second yellow card but it was such a physical battle and they (Chelsea) have much more experience. They dived a lot."

Wenger, clearly, is standing by the much-booked Vieira whom he believes is becoming a victim of his own reputation after collecting 23 yellow cards in considerably less than two seasons in the English game.

The 21-year-old from Senegal, who had just returned from a two-match ban, could be a key midfield figure for France in the World Cup this summer and Wenger, who made him his first Arsenal buy at £3.5 million from AC Milan, admits: "He is a physical player but certainly not a vicious one and you cannot ask him to stop tackling or reduce his commitment."

But Wenger has skipper Tony Adams and Liberian striker Christopher Wreh both serving bans for today's game against Crystal Palace while winger Marc Overmars is away in America with the Dutch World Cup squad and will also miss the FA Cup fifth round replay at Palace next Wednesday.

Ray Parlour is the latest to join Steve Bould, David Seaman and Ian Wright on the injured list. And although Dennis Bergkamp and Nigel Winterburn are expected to pass late fitness tests for their second Highbury meeting in eight days with Palace, French defender Gilles Grimandi looks certain to be another non-starter with a groin injury.

There has not been a goal yet between Arsenal and relegation-haunted Palace over two dour matches this season but Wenger believes the Gunners will bounce back from the Stamford Bridge defeat - their first in 13 games.

He has Martin Keown back in defence after six weeks out with hamstring trouble and gives 18year-old defender Matthew Upson only his second Premiership start.