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      ‘They don’t want us to win’ – Wolves’ Neves in astonishing attack on English refs after Liverpool & Forest controversies

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      RUBEN NEVES has launched a blistering attack on the shocking state of English refereeing.And demanded to know why Wolves were prevented from progressing in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup by a series of controversial match-changing blunders.
      Wolves have been on the end of some dodgy decisions latelyCredit: Getty
      And Ruben Neves launched an astonishing rant about itCredit: Rex
      “I’m not sure what is going on,” raged the Portuguese World Cup star. It feels like they don’t want us to win.”
      Wolves’ fury erupted after they crashed out of the Carabao Cup following a dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat at Nottingham Forest in midweek.
      Neves believes the tie should never have made it that far after his team-mate Matheus Nunes was denied a late penalty when Emmanuel Dennis’s studs caught Nunes’ heel, ripping the midfielder’s boot off in the process.
      That controversy came hard on the heels of an equally contentious FA Cup decision at Anfield on Saturday when Toti’s late ‘winner,’ was disallowed despite the fact there was no VAR camera angle to support the onfield decision.
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      Wolves also believe they suffered from a flawed offside call which allowed Mo Salah to score Liverpool’s second goal from a blatantly offside position.
      Their simmering frustration boiled over at the City Ground and rival players clashed after Forest’s dramatic shoot-out win set up a semi-final showdown with Manchester United at Wolves’ expense.
      In an astonishing post-match tirade, Neves:

      Accused referee Graham Scott of going AWOL while a post-match free-for-all broke out on his watch.
      Speculated it would require a broken leg for Wolves to be awarded a penalty.
      Claimed the image of English football has been tarnished by recent controversies.
      And challenged referees to have the courage of their convictions to explain their decisions in post-match interviews.

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      Wolves players feel they haven’t only been battling relegation this season, they have also been battling against officialdom.
      With no VAR in operation during League Cup ties, Neves presented Scott with Nunes’ ripped boot as evidence – only to be told he could only award the foul if the offence had occurred OUTSIDE the box!
      Nunes rapped: “What happened last week was a shame for English football and what happened here is really bad for English football as well.
      “The referee said to me the contact was not enough for him to give a penalty.
      “Maybe it was not enough for him, but how can a referee decide if the contact is enough or not?
      “Maybe if I stepped on his foot, like their player stepped on Matheus, he’d ask for a foul.
      “He told us if the foul was in the middle of the pitch he would give it to us but that the criteria in the box is different and the contact was not deemed to be enough.
      “Do we need to start breaking legs to have penalties in football?
      To compound his frustration Neves also saw his penalty in shootout savedCredit: Getty
      “I showed him Matheus’ boot, it was completely ripped!
      “There’s no excuses. He didn’t give the penalty because he didn’t want to give it, that’s it.”
      Neves’ mood darkened even further when his penalty was one of the two saved by Dean Henderson in the resulting shoot-out as Forest set up a glamour semi-final showdown with Man United.
      Afterwards, the Portuguese ace spoke from the heart and took full responsibility for his costly miss, claiming referees should also be accountable for their actions.
      Wolves are due to meet with new referees chief Howard Webb this week to flag up their concerns.
      But Neves would prefer referee Graham Scott to explain his decision-making process to the public – rather than disappearing up the tunnel, to be protected by a wall of silence.
      “At the end of the game everyone was fighting on the pitch and the referee was in the dressing room. That’s not normal,” said Neves.
      “He should be outside seeing what is happening and which players need to have a red card. Instead he was inside while everyone was fighting.
      Players erupted in a melee at the end of the Carabao Cup clashCredit: Getty
      “Now I’m here talking about my s**t penalty, and he’s going home and he will not talk to anyone. It’s too easy for them.
      “For me, I’m really sad because I really wanted to help my team win but I missed my penalty, and now I’m here talking to you.
      “I really wanted him to say to the public what he said to me on the pitch. He said to me that the contact is not enough.
      “How can a referee see the boot coming off the foot of a player and say the contact is not enough?
      “If a boot comes off, you cannot play. He would stop the game.
      “I cannot shoot the ball without the boot on my foot.
      “Imagine, Matheus wanted to shoot with the ball and he had no boot on his foot. How can that happen?
      “That’s not normal. There’s no excuse for it.
      Julen Lopetegui spoke with the ref after the game against LiverpoolCredit: PA
      Wolves asked for an explanation from the FA over the Liverpool decision
      “Even the small details. I did a foul on Aurier, I stopped in front of him and he kicked my leg, then he screamed. I got a yellow card.
      “I was asking why he gave me a yellow card and he said to me ‘no worries, if they do the same it will be a yellow card as well’.
      “Morgan (Gibbs-White) kicked Max (Kilman) in exactly the same way and he said it wasn’t the same.
      “We saw everything on the pitch and it’s really sad. I’m going home thinking about that really poor penalty, and he’s going home and doesn’t need to talk to anybody.”
      Asked for his opinion on the post-match bust-up Neves replied: “Ask the referee!
      “That’s why he’s here – to see what happened – ask him if he saw something.
      “I was with our fans thanking them for their support. When I turned around everyone was fighting and the referee was not on the pitch.
      “He was inside and that’s a mistake. I’m sure someone would have taken a red card, and that can change the next game.
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      “We should have won the game in the 90 minutes, but again it’s a big decision against Wolves.
      “I’m not sure what is going on, because it feels like they don’t want us to win.” More

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      Arsenal charged AGAIN for failing to control players in Oxford FA Cup tie, days after surrounding ref against Newcastle

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      ARSENAL have been charged with failing to control their players for the second time in a week.The Gunners stars were penalised for their antics in the 0-0 draw against Newcastle on January 3.
      Arsenal demanded a penalty from David Coote against OxfordCredit: Getty
      And six days later, they surrounded the referee on the way to beating Oxford in the FA Cup.
      Mikel Arteta’s men remonstrated with David Coote in the 34th minute of Monday’s third-round clash at the Kassam Stadium.
      Albert Sambi Lokonga’s shot deflected wide for a corner after striking an Oxford defender on the arm.
      The referee did not award a penalty and there was no VAR on hand to review the decision, sparking a furious reaction.
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      And that has now prompted another response from the FA, who said: “Arsenal FC has been charged with breaching FA Rule E20.1 during its tie against Oxford United FC in The FA Cup on Monday 9 January 2023.
      “It’s alleged that Arsenal FC failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 34th minute, and the club has until Monday 16 January 2023 to respond.”
      Goals from Mohamed Elneny and an Eddie Nketiah double ensured a safe passage into the fourth round, where Arsenal will face Manchester City in the standout tie.
      However, the game is also being looked into by the FA over allegations of spot-fixing leading to suspicious betting patterns.
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      English football’s governing body are investigating evidence sent to them including WhatsApp messages claiming Ciaron Brown would definitely be booked in the match.
      Oxford left-back Brown, 24, may also have his phone records – including calls, texts and social media – checked as part of the probe following his 59th-minute yellow card.
      Against Newcastle, Granit Xhaka’s cross brushed Jacob Murphy on the elbow from point-blank range in the 95th minute, prompting a similar angry response from the players – as well as Arteta on the sidelines.
      The Gunners boss flapped his arms wildly and gesticulated as his desperate pleas for a spot-kick fell on deaf ears.
      He later described the decision not to give two penalties in the goalless draw at the Emirates as “scandalous”
      But fans watching on at home called on Arteta to be hit with a touchline ban for his antics.
      The Gunners wanted a penalty in the closing seconds against NewcastleCredit: PA More

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      The unseen footage that PROVES Liverpool got lucky and Wolves’ offside goal should have counted in FA Cup

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      NEW unseen footage PROVES Liverpool got lucky and Wolves’ FA Cup winner should have stood. Julen Lopetegui was left fuming when Toti Gomes’ late strike was chalked off.
      Toti Gomes’ winner at Anfield should have stood and knocked Liverpool out of the FA CupCredit: Getty
      Video footage shows the camera angle the VAR did not have access to
      Wolves ace Matheus Nunes was played onside in the build-up to the goal

      The assistant referee put his flag up to rule it out, with the official penalising corner-taker Matheus Nunes when the ball was headed back out to him to recycle and cross again.
      But fans, coaches, players and even TV commentators were left baffled with no replays of the correct angle available.
      A lengthy VAR review, therefore, resulted in the linesman’s decision standing and the goal ruled out as the tie ended 2-2 and is heading for a replay.
      But now a fan video from the stands at Anfield shared on Instagram shows the incident unfolding – and it does not make fun viewing for Wolves supporters.
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      It shows Nunes taking the corner and a Wolves team-mate heading the ball back out towards the touchline where the Portuguese playmaker receives it.
      However, when the ball is headed, Nunez is clearly onside thanks to Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold at the back post.
      It means the ex-Sporting star started in a legal position when he ran back to collect and deliver the ball back into the box before Hwang Hee-chan’s shot was turned in by Toti.
      But because the VAR did not have that angle to see Nunes’ position and know he was onside, the goal did not stand.
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      Wolves were left utterly apoplectic with manager Lopetegui and captain Ruben Neves going in to speak with referee Andy Madley afterwards.
      The new Molineux boss wanted answers from the FA or ref body PGMOL and said: “We have seen it, the offside doesn’t exist, I’m sorry. It’s impossible.
      “Someone has told him it’s offside, but we’ve seen the images, it doesn’t exist.
      “The decision is wrong. I make mistakes every day, and sometimes they do too.
      “Today we have the help of VAR, and it is a pity, because I’m sorry, it’s not offside.”
      Wolves – whose anger boiled over again on Wednesday when they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Nottingham Forest on penalties – host Liverpool in the replay on January 17.
      The winners will then travel to Brighton in the fourth round for another all-Premier League clash.
      Toti celebrated wildly before realising the flag had wrongly gone upCredit: Getty
      Julen Lopetegui let rip at referee Andrew Madley for the decisionCredit: Reuters More

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      FA to probe Ciaron Brown’s phone, texts & social media amid suspicious betting investigation in Oxford clash vs Arsenal

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      THE FA will look into Oxford defender Ciaron Brown’s phone and social media activity as part of their probe into possible spot-fixing, according to reports.An investigation was launched by the football governing body amid suspicious betting activity on the FA Cup third-round tie with Arsenal.
      Ciaron Brown’s phone could be investigated amid a suspicious betting probe by the FACredit: Getty
      The Oxford defender was booked in the 59th minute against ArsenalCredit: Reuters
      It was reported the FA were made aware with evidence presented to them after full-time.
      And that evidence is said to include WhatsApp messages claiming Brown would definitely be booked during the match.
      The Northern Ireland left-back, 24, was cautioned in the 59th minute after fouling Eddie Nketiah and tussling with Fabio Vieira.
      Earlier on in the match, which Arsenal won 3-0, he escaped punishment for pulling down Gunners pair Bukayo Saka and catching Takehiro Tomiyasu.
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      Now according to the Daily Mail, the FA have the power to interview all related parties and access to their devices.
      It is said they want to start by examining Brown’s phone to review calls, texts and his social media.
      Some supporters have claimed to the Mail they won thousands of pounds with Brown’s second-half yellow card with odds of 8-1.
      And there were suggestions that even a number of Arsenal fans celebrated their winnings when he was cautioned – although there is no suggestion they were involved in any criminal activity.
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      However, some bookmakers have so far refused to pay out due to the alleged suspicious volume of bets on the market in the hours building up to kick off which prompted the odds to drop to 7-2.
      Some experts believe the market was overpriced for a League One defender to get booked against the attack of the Premier League leaders and punters took advantage.
      However, others claim the betting pattern is questionable and should be investigated fully.
      Oxford said: “‘Oxford United can confirm that they have been made aware of a specific allegation of irregular betting around our Emirates FA Cup game against Arsenal on Monday evening,
      “The club will co-operate fully with any investigation and while this is ongoing, we are unable to make any further comment.” More

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      Chelsea could have played Man City TEN TIMES and still not scored as hopeless Blues record lowest XG in years

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      CHELSEA’S lack of attacking threat against Manchester City has led to an unnerving statistic.The Blues were beaten convincing 4-0 by the Citizens in the FA Cup on Sunday and only registered 0.09 expected goals (XG) in their favour.
      Chelsea’s attackers, including Kai Havertz, only mustered an xg of 0.09 against Manchester City on SundayCredit: Reuters
      The statistic is based on the chances created by a side and how likely they would be to score them on average.
      It is calculated on a few differing parts, which include the type of assist if the shot was with a head or foot as well as the angle and distance of the effort.
      Chelsea’s low XG stat was the club’s lowest for five seasons across all competitions.
      The biggest concern about Chelsea’s record is that it would have taken more than ten games for them to have scored an actual goal based on the statistic.
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      During the game, Manchester City registered an XG of 2.82 and managed to overperform it by 1.18 goals.
      Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer slammed the Blues for their blunt attack during the first half of the game.
      He said: “From a Chelsea point of view, that is not acceptable that performance.
      “I said they needed some energy, character, all of those things.
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      “Going forward its been so bad. They’ve been nothing short of pathetic in forward positions.
      “Where’s the movement? They’ve had nothing up front at all. Everything has been sideways or even backwards.
      “They’ve got to give the fans something now, show they care about this football club, because that 45 minutes was not acceptable.”
      Manager Graham Potter will be hoping the arrival of Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid will add some much-needed firepower. More

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      Cheeky supporter offers Walsall player free subscription to his wife’s OnlyFans after FA Cup heroics

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      A FOOTBALL supporter has offered Walsall player Tom Knowles a free subscription to his wife’s OnlyFans after his FA Cup heroics. The League Two side reached round four after beating Stockport 2-1.
      Tom Knowles celebrates after the team’s victory over StockportCredit: Getty
      ‘Cheffie Scott’, above with wife Melody, has offered Walsall player Tom Knowles a free subscription to her OnlyFans account
      OnlyFans star Melody Pleasure
      Afterwards, Knowles tweeted: “These boys! What a win!!! Travelling fans were unbelievable yet again, enjoy!”
      It led to adult film actor and producer – who goes by the Twitter name of Cheffie Shot – giving Knowles an X-rated offer for his wife Melody Pleasure’s content.
      He tweeted: “You’ve earned a month subscription of my wife’s OnlyFans. Dm me to sort it out!”
      Knowles is yet to respond to the offer.
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      Walsall’s cup run comes as they sit 11th in the table but winning their two games in hand could lift them into the top four.
      They beat Stockport thanks to a last-gasp winner from the spot by substitute Andy Williams, who hailed his side’s character.
      He said: “I didn’t feel too bad, I think in the last game I was on penalties so I was more than confident enough to step up and take it.
      “I wasn’t sure whose name was on the board when Isaac asked for it, I wasn’t sure if it should have been him but no one told me otherwise so I was more than happy to take responsibility and I stuck it away and put us in the hat.
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      “It shows the character and togetherness of the group and that’s what we’re building here now and it’s a pleasure to be a part of.
      “It’s always tricky when you go 1-0 up in a game like that in the FA Cup, it’s hard not to sit back on it like we did but I think we defended it really well for large parts but just offered them too many chances in the end which got them back into the game but the character we showed.
      “We had so many chances to nick the win and I think it was more than just deserved.”
      Walsall’s Andy Williams celebrates scoring against StockportCredit: Reuters More

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      Arsenal clash with Oxford United in FA Cup being investigated over suspicious betting patterns

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      THE FA have reportedly opened an investigation into suspicious betting patterns surrounding Oxford United’s FA Cup third round defeat to Arsenal.League One Oxford were beaten 3-0 by the Gunners on Monday.
      The FA are reportedly investigating suspicious betting patterns from Oxford vs ArsenalCredit: Reuters
      The FA are now investigating allegations of suspicious betting patterns, according to the Daily Mail.
      Sky Sports say the FA are looking into evidence handed to them after the game.
      Mohamed Elneny gave Arsenal the lead just after the hour mark, before an Eddie Nketiah double settled the tie.
      Star man Bukayo Saka hobbled off in the 75th minute to spark injury concerns among Arsenal fans.
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      But boss Mikel Arteta confirmed the winger was “fine” following the 3-0 win.
      The Spaniard told ITV on Saka: “He’s fine, he was fine.”
      Premier League leaders Arsenal will now travel to Manchester City in a mouthwatering FA Cup fourth round tie later this month.
      Meanwhile Manchester United will take on Championship side Reading at Old Trafford.
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      Arsenal’s bitter rivals Tottenham have also been handed Championship opposition.
      Spurs will travel to Deepdale to take on Preston North End.
      While the winners of the replay between Wolves and Liverpool face a trip to Brighton in the next round.
      FA Cup fourth round draw in full
      Preston North End vs Tottenham HotspurSouthampton vs BlackpoolWrexham vs Sheffield UnitedIpswich Town vs BurnleyManchester United vs ReadingLuton Town or Wigan Athletic vs Grimsby TownDerby County vs West Ham UnitedStoke vs StevenageBlackburn Rovers vs Forest Green Rovers or Birmingham CityWalsall vs Leicester CitySheffield Wednesday vs Fleetwood TownManchester City vs ArsenalBristol City or Swansea City vs Chesterfield or West BromBrighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool or WolvesFulham vs SunderlandBoreham Wood or Accrington Stanley vs Cardiff City or Leeds More

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      Mikel Arteta goes wild on touchline AGAIN despite Arsenal being 3-0 up vs Oxford with Dixon calling him out for antics

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      MIKEL ARTETA went wild on the touchline again against Oxford – despite watching his Arsenal side cruise to victory. After an awkward first-half, a brace from Eddie Nketiah and a bullet header from Mohamed Elneny took the game away from the League 1 hosts.
      Mikel Arteta produced another eye-catching display on the touchline – even with Arsenal 3-0 upCredit: Getty
      From first-half frustration to second-half satisfaction, the Arsenal boss went through many emotions during the 90 minutes of actionCredit: Rex
      An impressive first-half showing from Karl Robinson’s side saw Arsenal have to fight to avoid an upset.
      And even though he watched the Gunners take a commanding 3-0 lead, boss Arteta grew increasingly animated and even caught the attention of co-commentator Lee Dixon.
      And the former Arsenal defender could not help but poke fun at the Spaniard, whose sideline antics has caused a stir among some fans.
      With the game winding to an end and Arteta frantically gesturing in front of the cameras, Dixon said: “[Arteta is] waving his arms about like he normally is.”
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      The pundit then added cheekily: “At least he has stayed in his technical area tonight.”
      The Arsenal boss had triggered a mixed reaction after putting on a show against Newcastle last week – and almost coming to blows with Eddie Howe.
      Arteta cut a frustrated and energetic figure as he watched Arsenal drop points in the league for the first time since October.
      Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness claimed the 40-year-old would have felt “embarrassed” watching back his antics the next day.
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      Alan Shearer was also less than impressed with what he saw.
      But the Gunners gaffer said he would refuse to change his ways.
      Ahead of the FA Cup tie, He said: “I haven’t read the criticism of my behaviour and I am not part of that debate.
      “They can all have their opinions but I will always try to do my best for this football club, to defend my players.
      “And I will always have the passion that I believe the game has to be played with. But that’s me. That’s the way I am, on and off the pitch, for the good and the bad.”
      Some Arsenal fans love Arteta’s fired-up behaviour on the sidelinesCredit: Getty
      Arteta rested some first-team stars for the trip to the Kassam StadiumCredit: Getty More