Everton manager David Moyes claimed Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas should have been sent off for comments made towards referee Lee Mason during tonight's feisty Barclays Premier League clash at Emirates Stadium, which the Gunners won 2-1 to keep up their title challenge.
Louis Saha had put the visitors ahead on 24 minutes when he slotted home, despite being offside. However, the Gunners turned the game around through substitute Andrey Arshavin and Laurent Koscielny's header. Moyes, though, was left less than impressed by the Arsenal skipper.
"I think it was offside, the wrong decision, but it was not Everton who made the decision. I also thought there were some really bad tackles. But Fabregas' comments to the officials when he was coming down the tunnel warranted a sending off," Moyes said.
"I am not going to repeat what they were. They were disappointing comments from someone who is such a talented footballer."
Moyes continued: "I won't go into what they were, but they were deserving of a sending off, 100%.
"If you had said it on the pitch, you should have been off like that, so what is the difference when you are coming down the tunnel? We heard it, but that should not be the talking point."
Fabregas is no stranger to controversy, having been accused of spitting at Hull assistant Brian Horton at the end of their stormy FA Cup quarter-final in March 2009 - of which he was cleared by the FA - and Tuesday night had used his programme notes to clear up a Twitter row with Huddersfield's Anthony Pilkington over the swapping of shirts after their FA Cup fourth-round win on Sunday.
However, on the latest accusations from Moyes, Arsenal maintain Fabregas has no case to answer.
"I was next to Fabregas at half-time and I can't see why David Moyes is furious with him. Fabregas didn't speak to the referee at half-time, I did," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Source: PA
Source: PA