Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Nick Simmonett 
Date:Sunday December 30 2007
Time: 12:50PM
UK time is: 05:57:31
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Cesc Insists Arteta Deserved Red
Cesc Fabregas insists that referee Martin Atkinson got it right when he sent Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta off for throwing out an elbow in yesterday's game at Everton.
In a game that saw fouls a plenty from both sides, and a red card for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner, it was not all that suprising to see an Everton player see red, then get red.
Arteta threw his arm accross Fabregas' face in the final 6 minutes of the game and rightly got a straight red from Atkinson.
Speaking after the incident Cesc said: 'He is my friend but this is football. It just happened, the same with Nicklas.
Everyone can have their opinion but the one thing I am sure about is that he put his elbow in my face and that is a red card.'
However, Everton boss David Moyes refuesd to accept it. He told Everton's official website: 'Cesc Fabregas was acting like he had broken his jaw. But you come and have a look at Andy Johnson`s shin.'
I don't think anyone can say that Bendtner didn't deserve to be sent off, but that incident has nothing at all to do with Arteta's clear elbow in Cesc's face. I'd love to know what Moyes would have to say about it had it been the other way round.
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Your Comments
These kind of things make me sick to the stomach, play acting, that is. Whether it be from my team or the Mancs, it is disgusting. Is this a sport for men or overpaid idiots?
Aamir
Sorry Aamir, have you seen it? He clearly stuck his elbow in Cesc's face.
simmy8_2000
im sorry, there are parts of this i agree with and parts i don't, arteta is not a dirty player, why would elbow his mate? his eyes where fixed on the ball and he used his arms to get infront of the player, it happens in amateur football all the time, cesc made a meal of it and the referee was even worse, insinuating that arteta had thrusted his elbow into cesc's face, it was an unfortunate incident made worse by cesc's play acting.
toffeetower
Moyes should look at little closer at play acting if he disapproves of it. How about the blatant dives by Arteta on 30 mins, Yakubu on 40, the most blatant of them all Neville on 52m and then Lescott 93m? All unpunished. Play acting seems acceptable to him in some circumstances. If Cesc is guilty of play acting it was at least as a consequence of someone elses act of violent conduct. Arteta had already got away with it once in the game with an arm in the face of Clichy and Lescott was allowed one on Eduardo.
Amos.
You say why would Arteta elbow Cesc. In the same vein, why would Cesc stitch up his mate?
simmy8_2000
Regardless of Cesc's reaction, Arteta had to go off. It was also disappointing to see Neville, Arteta and Yakubu falling over too.
saisho
Well Amos is on the ball! I think he's just about summed it up. It really gets my goat when managers have double standards like that. Well put fella!
simmy8_2000
considering arteta's dive in the first half it should have been a yellow card and the challenge he was sent off for should prob have been a 2nd yellow card, i feel justice was done. cesc may have made a meal of it and may not have, either way there was contact, i dont feel arteta meant it. a 3 match ban i would consider harsh for arteta, but these things happen.
Unwell
Unwell, to a fan it may seem harsh but by the letter of the law it's right. He stuck out an elbow and caught a player in the face. That's a 3 match ban.
simmy8_2000
Whether or not Arteta's elbow touched Cesc's face, you would have thought Cesc had just gone 120 rounds with Mike Tyson.
Aamir
And plus, Arteta is in my Fantasy team and so is Fabragas. :)
Aamir
I agree with the letter of the law, he raised his arm and hit another players face but it was not a malicious challenge in my opinion. Sometimes the letter of the law can be harsh. If it was Cesc who did the opposite to Arteta I believe we would all probably make the point that it was unintentional if it looked that way.
Unwell
I'm of the opinion that Arteta didn't elbow Cesc on purpose. But it could be that Cesc really got hurt and hence fell. Moyes is seriousl a turd. He comments on fabregas but fails to recognise the dives from Arteta or Neville (the one involving Sagna). Double- standards or what???
WouldYouBelieveIt?!
Moyes has a double standard here and Amos pointed it out perfectly.
gunnerkid107
hopefully spitting on other people's face and making a double scissor tackle from behind will also be a 3 match ban.
k_chelski
Who the hell did that?
WouldYouBelieveIt?!
Arteta elbowed Clichy in the neck in the first half in the same way. He deserved the red.
ZAgooner
Sorry, any manager holding up Andy Johnson as a bastion of fair play and an object of sympathy doesn't know the definition of irony. The rules say if you raise your hands to an opponent's face, it is a red card. Arteta raised his arms to Cesc's face. Need I elaborate?
Little Dutch
You're right k_chelski, but Mikel always seems to get away with it doesn't he?
Little Dutch
You don't need to elaborate LD, LOL.
CoastarianGooner
Exactly LD, I'm not just talking about fabragas, **** footballers in general.
k_chelski
Why is Moyes talking about the Johnson incident? Not 1 gooner would say that Nick didnt deserve to go? Arteta's foul was not malicious just clumsy but the rules are the rules and you gotta go. I think Fabregas is having one of those months when everyone is jumping on incidents involving him, he probably needs to hit peak form again to make the rubbish die down.
iceman10
fabregas is not only an immature idiot but also a cheat..the way he fell down it seemed he was shot..in fact with the exception of billy and gilberto all arsenal players lack dignity..i keep saying it this team has no moral fiber..!!!and i am sure the gooners will have a go at me talking about moral issues and this and that..the reason because they do not know the meaning of moral fiber!!!!
essientric
Essientric, see my post above. Mikel, this time with Crouch? There's no case for Cesc to answer here, Arteta clearly caught him in the face, red card. No issue. As for lacking dignity, well, like all top teams we have a mean streak. But it's not like we turn our backs on opponents when they collect medals at Cup Finals, or make DVD compilations of every single indiscretion we have suffered, or release press statements about how ex players threaten to score own goals, or print statements on our official site like, "shut it Domenech and Thuram," or prevent away fans from bringing amusing props such as inflatable objects into the away end of our stadium, or falsely accuse opposing managers of coercing with referees when we lose games, or dodge touchline bans with the use of mobile phones, or tear red cards out of referee's hands, or illegally poach players from rivals and pay them off for their silence....I could go on.
Little Dutch
Oh and if we're talking about definitions of moral fibre, compare and contrast if you will; despicable Russian businessman muscles in on Chelsea, club fans embrace him. Despicable Russian businessman moves in on Arsenal; mass protests and outcry.
Little Dutch
essientric, you would probably have sent Cesc off rather than Arteta last night! I don't think Arteta is dirtier than others, but I for one am happy that a rule exists where elbows in the face get red cards. And regarding general lessons on moral fibre - you must have been snorting turkey if you think you and your club are qualified to speak on the matter!
Andy-bayor
Chelsea fan taking about moral fibre? http://www.chelseafc.com/page/NewsHomePage/0,,10268~1194257,00.html
That was what was written on the official site. Take about morals!
WouldYouBelieveIt?!
essientric's effort at moral outrage is laughable, at best. Someone needs to explain the definition of irony / hypocrisy to the lad ! I dont see the big deal in this - Arteta raised his arm and made contact with Cesc. Whether Cesc made a meal of it, I cant really tell (though it did look like it), coz it was not my face at the receving end of that elbow. Arteta got away with elbowing Clichy earlier as well, so Moyes should not be complaining.
prits
to be honest when watching the replay of arteta, it didnt look a deal as the replay was in slow motion, then watching the incident in full speed, arteta did deserve the red, u cant raise ur arms to sum1's face and get away with it
Achilles
My guess is essientric has seriously forgotten that Did-he-dive Drogba, Robben and Terry all play/played for his team. You also clearly seem to forget Terry's attempt to stab Fabregas. And you talk about morals. Run along fella. You are a bigger hypocrite than Moyes.
WouldYouBelieveIt?!
iceman10, Moyes wanted Bendtner to get a straight red, not a second yellow card, so he can be suspended three games like Arteta, not one. That's why he brought up the Johnson incident, and he's right in this matter. Bendtner Should've been given a straight red for his tackle on Johnson, not a yellow card.
JohnDoe
JohnDoe,he already had a yellow. Also,if he is to be punished more FA will decide on it. We have seen cases of players not being red-carded but suspended later by FA.
CoastarianGooner
CoastarianGooner, He won't be punished further as he already got a yellow card for that incident. The FA doesn't punish players if they were already punished by the ref.
JohnDoe
rules of the game are, hand in face, red card, end of story.. the rolling around on the floor doesn't make up the ref's mind, its the elbow in the face that made up his mind. And if you saw the look on arteta's face, he knew he was guilty, he didn't exactly plead for the ref not to send him off did he ? i thought it was just nice to see arsenal upsetting the form teams again this month :)
PUREGOLD
essientric i could be wrong(god knows i meet many idiots a day) but were you not the same guy who said many of the arsenal first team could not make the chelsea first 11 on the vital chelsea site a few weeks ago? if you are the same guy i would like to say again that you are STILL an idiot... go away and concentrate on buying leagues instead of rabbiting away on our site with your dribble.
Unwell
Whatever. We got the three point we wanted is all that matters.
Warri Gooner
essientric, does your village know you've escaped?
bseymour
Does your's bseymour? :)
JohnDoe
You can't be from the same place as essientric, jdoe, 'cos villages usually only have one.
bseymour
You should know bseymour.
JohnDoe
Cesc falling to the ground was probably not playacting. He and Arteta both running and suddenly bang he got hit in the face. He fell in the middle of that momentum, simple enough. At that point it was already a red card - hand in face, as many have explained above. Yes I did feel Cesc's rolling around was a bit exaggarating, which was not necessary. Even when he was fouled, and the likes of Cahill (or was that Nevill, don't remember) said something, whatever that was, Kolo and Flamini should have kept their cool as well IMHO. Ade, Almunia and Gallas did well in trying to calm the guys down. Perfect sub by Arsene I say - to protect Cesc from getting into further trouble after his subsequent yellow card for a challenge. As Amos pointed out very precisely, Neville, Arteta and Yakubu all dived and went unpunished. I think David Moyes was just p!ssed off that we found a way to deal with their pack-the-midfield tactic against us (must say Eduardo's goals almost came out of the blue and totally turned around the awful game that we saw in the 1st half) and managed to win ugly to his really unpleasant surprise.
Louisa
JohnDoe - the 2nd yellow / straight red to Bednter didnt change tha game one bit since he was sent off anyway, and Moyes cannot argue with the Arteta red. So you have to ask yourself - what exactly is Moyes moaning about ? He is simply dealing badly with a case of sour grapes.
prits
Let's say David Moyes was right in saying that Bendtner's tackle was dangerous (but didn't seem intentional or malicious to me) and it should have been a red card. All Arsenal fans think the kid should learn that lesson, fair enough. If we follow the rules to the letter, then Arteta, Neville and especially Yakubu (who was already outpaced by Kolo but threw himself to the ground once he got inside the box) should have been yellow carded way before that.
Louisa
And the way the press made a big story out of the incident, while ignoring all the other conduct issues in the game, was a disgrace too. Sh1t like "Cesc said his pal Arteta deserved red card", "Two amigos in ugly row", "Play-acting Cesc infuriated Moyes after getting fellow countryman Arteta sent off", "Spanish version of Ronaldo-Rooney incident", etc. Cesc did get caught by Arteta's arm and naturally fell. His rolling around maybe a bit too much, maybe not, as we don't know how much pain it caused him. But he's right in saying simply that hand in face = red card. He's not like winking at his teammates or doing some horrible things like that, I don't see what's wrong with that. This "getting another Spaniard sent off" thing has really been blown out of proportion in the press.
Louisa
No much has been written positively about cesc at the moment.
AB_Arsenal
I spoke out against Cesc's play acting before, but he needs to be given the benefit of the doubt here. He clearly caught an elbow in his face, whether it was a straight arm or bent is by the by, it's still a boney and rather hard part of the arm, any kind of contact with the face is going to hurt. Moyes is being very bitter about this incident and keeps refering back to Bendtner, but noone is disputing the fact that he should have gotten a straight red, but the fact remains Arteta had to go.
Rocky7
I agree prits, it wouldn't have changed the game, but Moyes wanted Bendtner to miss as many games as Arteta, that's why he was moaning.
JohnDoe
When hit Cesc buckled at the knees and stayed down, a pretty good sign that it was a hard hit and he was hurting. It was a red for sure
darinb007
Darinb0007, he would have "buckled at the knees and stayed down" for a gust of wind, so you can´t really say for sure...
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