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Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, left, was accused by Arsène Wenger of diving to win a penalty from this challenge by Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal.
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, left, was accused by Arsène Wenger of diving to win a penalty from this challenge by Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal. Photograph: Manchester City FC/Man City via Getty Images
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, left, was accused by Arsène Wenger of diving to win a penalty from this challenge by Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal. Photograph: Manchester City FC/Man City via Getty Images

Manchester City shocked at Arsène Wenger diver claim over Raheem Sterling

This article is more than 6 years old
Wenger admires Sterling enough to have tried to sign him last summer
City conscious that Arsenal have benefited from referees’ decisions

Manchester City are shocked that Arsène Wenger questioned Raheem Sterling’s integrity after Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday, especially as the manager’s admiration for the forward led him to move for the player last summer.

Wenger accused Sterling of diving to win a 50th-minute penalty that Sergio Agüero converted to give Pep Guardiola’s team a 2-0 lead at the Etihad Stadium. The Frenchman’s view of the 22-year-old has been met with some disquiet at City, it is understood. This is because Wenger previously held him in high enough esteem to try to prise him from the club as part of a deal that would have involved Alexis Sánchez moving in the opposite direction.

Wenger also claimed in a round of post-match interviews that City get decisions at home against Arsenal. He cited the 2-1 defeat in last season’s corresponding fixture, believing both of City’s goals were offside.

However sources at City rebuffed this as well as Wenger’s stance that Sterling “dives very well”. They point to how Sterling did not receive a penalty in the first half on Sunday when Sead Kolasinac appeared to push him over and how Sterling stayed on his feet when pushed by Kyle Walker during January’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad and did not win a penalty.

City also noted that Arsenal have benefited from decisions by officials in recent meetings. Nacho Monreal’s handball of a Jesús Navas shot in Arsenal’s area was not given in the closing moments of last April’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium, with the defender admitting to Guardiola at the final whistle he did commit the infringement. There was also a Sterling goal controversially ruled out during last April’s FA Cup semi-final between the sides when Leroy Sané’s cross was wrongly ruled to have gone out. City lost the tie in extra time.

It is understood Wenger is not facing a Football Association charge regarding his questioning of Sterling’s integrity. After the defeat he said: “I believe it was no penalty. We know that Raheem Sterling dives well, he does that very well. And the third goal was offside. I am very upset because at 2-1 we were in the game. The third goal was the killer and it is not by coincidence that mistakes always go for the home team, as we know.

“It will be difficult this season, the way they have started, the quality they have, but you never know. If on top of that they have decisions at home like that, they will be unstoppable. This is the second year. We got two offside goals here last year [in a 2-1 loss] and one this year.”

After the international break Guardiola’s team must play at Leicester without the suspended Nicolás Otamendi. The manager is hopeful that Vincent Kompany, the captain, may have recovered from his latest calf injury by then. The central defender was not fit enough to be called up by Belgium.

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