Wenger apologises for Gallas tackle

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Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
20 Jan	7:45 PM	P	Bolton Wanderers (H)	4	2	Win

Manager Arsène Wenger has apologised for the tackle by defender William Gallas on Bolton's Mark Davies.

There was controversy after the game as Arsenal went on to score their equaliser whilst Davies lay on the pitch injured, and had to be withdrawn from the game with suspected ankle damage.

Bolton were expecting Arsenal to kick the ball out of play so that Davies could receive treatment, but instead play went on and Fabregas scored his 12th goal of the season.

Wenger said: "I am sorry if the tackle was not good, really. There are two things I have heard just now: one, that he [Owen Coyle] was not happy with the tackle, and I am sorry if the tackle was not a good one. I apologise for that.

"The second thing, that he [Coyle] was not happy that we carried on playing, I think that is unfair because the players who went on, they did not know what was happening behind.

"When the player went down, they did not know if he got up again because when you win the ball you go forward, you don't know what is happening behind you.

"That is why I don't believe you can kick the ball out every time a player is down when you win the ball.

"That means every time you win the ball when you are 2-1 down, every time a player goes down you have to kick the ball out - it's impossible. That's why they changed the rule.

"I don't know if you remember but when you asked me about the Everton game [when Denilson went down in open play and Everton attacked], I said straight away I didn't expect them to kick the ball out.

"It was a much more obvious situation because Denilson went down, they got the ball and went to score the third goal. I said after the game that it was OK.

"In the last two games if you get all the challenges we got, and we had to absorb, and the challenges we made, I am not sure it is in our favour, because we got some big tackles.

"But we had to cope with it and I am sorry if it was foul [by Gallas] but I cannot change the referee's decision.

"It didn't look dirty from outside. What I saw was two or three players, it was not only William in there. I think Fabregas was in there at the start as well. I don't know, I have to watch it again."

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