Arsenal Vs Everton - As It Happens

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 16: Leighton Baines of Everton gestures to Jack Wilshere of Arsenal as he clashes with Kevin Mirallas of Everton during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on April 16, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

By Sam Wallace – 17 April 2013The Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere was involved in a half-time tunnel fracas with Kevin Mirallas in a match in which Arsene Wenger accused Everton of going “over the edge” in their physical approach.

The game at the Emirates ended 0-0, leaving Arsenal in third two points ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea, who have played two fewer games, but it was notable for Wilshere's strong response to Mirallas squirting him with water as the players walked off the pitch at half-time. The Belgian's Everton team-mates threw themselves between the two players as the Arsenal teenager pursued his opponent.
Moyes, whose side remains sixth, two points behind Tottenham in fifth, said that Wenger had spent too much time complaining about Everton's approach to the referee Neil Swarbrick and his fourth official Kevin Friend.
Asked about Wenger's irritation at Everton's style, Moyes said: “Do you mean when we were a little bit rough with the tackling? Up north we do that quite often. That's actually allowed in football. We weren't going to come here and let Arsenal stroke the ball around and make 600 passes. He [Wenger] was upset.”
He added: “I wasn't nervous because I thought we made it a right good game. Everton got the crowd going. I've been at the Emirates and it's been quiet, but Everton got the crowd going. Because you make tackles, not everyone is a foul and not everyone means you have to kick it out of play.”

Asked whether he saw the incident between Wilshere and Mirallas at half-time, Moyes responded: “Did you see it? I didn't either. 'Didn't see it'. I know somebody who says that quite a lot.”
Wenger hinted later that he did not believe his team were given adequate protection from the referee. “It was a game of huge intensity, a fight for both teams,” he said. “You have to respect the effort Everton put in. They decided to make it very physical for us to disturb our game and sometimes went over the edge, but the referee had to make the right decision. I don't blame the referee. 'Protecting' is a big word, but they have to make the right decision.”