Wenger blasts referee after loss to Leicester

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit out at the referee after his side's loss to Leicester City FC in their English Premier League (EPL) clash here.

Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was sent off for a poor tackle in the 15th minute of Wednesday night's game as Leicester went on to register a 3-1 win in front of their home fans.

Kelechi Iheanacho punished some poor defending by Arsenal to put Leicester ahead before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found the equaliser early in the second half.

But Leicester were awarded a penalty when Henrikh Mkhitaryan brought down Demarai Gray inside the Arsenal penalty box.

Leicester's star striker Jamie Vardy stepped up to convert the spot kick while Riyad Mahrez scored the third goal for the hosts in the 90th minute.

A clearly annoyed Wenger asserted that referee Graham Scott made an error of judgment while awarding the penalty.

"The penalty is a very creative, imaginative aspect from the referee. We've watched it again, it's a nice dive and it's not a penalty. Mkhitaryan plays the ball," Wenger was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

Wenger also praised the Arsenal players for their spirited performance despite being a man down for most of the match.

"It's a frustration because I believe we played a great game and with 10 against 11 we have shown quality in our game and spirit. Overall it is very sad because the decision went against us and we are upset that we lost a game that we should not have lost," he said.

"It does not have big consequences but it's just a continuity of what we have faced all season," he added.

--IANS

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