Arsene Wenger addressed the media after his side lost 2-0 at Chelsea on Saturday.
Read on for a transcript of what the Arsenal manager said.
on Diego Costa…
If you look well at the pictures, what he does to Koscielny before he pushes him down, he hits him in the face before the throw and he always gets away with it. Honestly, it’s surprising. I don’t understand Mike Dean’s decision at all. Not on the sending off. Why does Diego Costa stay on the pitch? That Gabriel is sent off, okay, I accept. He has not to react at all. After that, I think on their first goal, I couldn’t see a free-kick against us.
on his players getting involved…
Koscielny has no choice if you look well at the pictures. Gabriel is guilty of getting involved. He should not have responded at all.
on Koscielny having bruises…
I don’t know. Look at the pictures. It tells you a lot on the slow motion. It is quite surprising. Before the cross comes in he hits him.
on why Costa gets away with it…
I don’t know, it is a question you should ask Mike Dean.
Theo Walcott
on if he expected this type of game…
We expected that type of game. It is no surprise but you expect the referee to make the right decision. I don’t deny Gabriel deserves to be sent off, he deserves it. He goes down well from very little but he should not have done it and he deserves a red card, I agree. But you want the referee to make the right decision.
on if the referee should have been stronger…
For me it is nothing to do with strength. It is about making the right decision. That is all you want. It is nothing to do with strength, they are professional people that just need to make the right decisions.
on if he has spoken to referee…
No.
on if he will speak to the referee…
There is nothing to say. I think it made it difficult in the second half. It was 0-0 at half-time and in the second half Chelsea had to come out much more. I still feel we controlled the game quite well, even with 10 against 11, but we conceded a goal on a set-piece and that is a frustrating thing. When it is 0-0 and you lose a game from a set-piece when it is 10 against 11, then it is very difficult. The final 20 minutes of the game we came back into the game but we got Cazorla sent off [and] then it is game over.
on if Mike Dean needs a break…
I do not want to judge overall. I just think today that it is surprising that Diego Costa got away with what he did. At half-time we get a red card but he stays on the pitch. Overall I do not want to judge Mike Dean because I do not watch all the games that he referees.
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