Arsenal vs Tottenham: Arsene Wenger bemoans penalty decision and says Victor Wanyama should've been sent-off

Arsene Wenger bemoaned Mark Clattenburg’s decision to award Tottenham a penalty that saw Arsenal draw 1-1 on Sunday afternoon, and also admitted that midfielder Victor Wanyama was lucky to stay on the pitch having embraced the physicality of the north London derby.

The Arsenal manager did concede that the two factors were not enough to take the blame from failuring to win away from his own side, given that they were not able to add a second goal after Spurs defender Kevin Wimmer headed into his own net to gift the home side the lead.

But he did display a frustration with referee Clattenburg’s decision to award Spurs a second-half penalty after Laurent Koscielny fouled Mousa Dembele, which allowed the returning Harry Kane to beat Petr Cech and earn a share of the points for a third consecutive north London derby.

“The penalty was harsh,” Wenger said, having described it earlier as “unlucky”.

“From where I sit, it looked harsh. It didn't look a deliberate foul or that he [Dembele] was dangerous to score. Even speaking to some referees, you can give it or not give it. As Arsenal manager, I wouldn't have given it.”

Turning his attention to the robust Wanyama, Wenger was clear in his opinion that the Kenyan should not have seen the final whistle.

“He was very lucky to stay on the pitch, of course,” he added. “A few fouls, the elbow on [Theo] Walcott for example. We have to cope with that. The referee makes the decisions. Still, nobody stopped us from scoring a second goal.”

The failure to add the second goal that Wenger wanted came as a result of his side allowing their energy levels to drop throughout the second half. Tottenham could easily have won the match when Christian Eriksen’s free-kick struck the post from outside the box, but Arsenal also missed a number of late chances as they lacked the clinical edge that they have displayed throughout this 16-match unbeaten run.

It led Wenger onto the effect that playing in the Champions League is having on Arsenal and Spurs, given that this weekend has seen both Chelsea and Liverpool – who do not boast European football this season after last term’s failures – move above the Gunners as well as Manchester City to top the Premier League table.

“It's a bit easier to prepare for games because you don't have the intensity of the Champions League games, but if you asked them, they'd like to be playing in there,” Wenger said. “We cannot complain about that. There’s a little physical advantage for sure, especially after European weeks, but we have to deal with that. It's not an excuse. Even if they are in front, it's a small difference after 11 games.”

He added: “It was a game of high intensity. In the first half we always looked like we could score every time we crossed the half-way line. In the second half we looked a bit more flat physically and less sharp. We couldn't find a creativity around the box and all the vision we are used to. Our level dropped. We were a bit too stretched as well.”

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But despite the fact that Arsenal have failed to win the match that has followed a Champions League encounter for the second time in succession, Wenger refused to directly blame the busy schedule his side are currently experiencing.

“No, we weren't compact enough,” he said when asked if Tuesday’s 3-2 win at Ludogorets was to blame. “[We were] Too stretched, so you run more. In the first half yes, not in the second half. In the second half they stretched us playing many long balls. Was there a mental blow when they equalised? I don't know. But when we were questioned in the final 30 minutes we had more physical answers. I cannot question the spirit, but we looked a bit flat.”