Everton’s Koeman mocks Wenger over comments about referee

Everton Football Club’s manager, Ronald Koeman, has mocked Arsenal FC’s Arsene Wenger for questioning referee Mark Clattenburg’s decision-making after the Toffees beat the Gunners 2-1 on Tuesday.
Wenger felt a corner kick was incorrectly awarded in the lead-up to Ashley Williams’ winning goal.
“I’m not surprised because it’s the third (home game) in a row we won against Arsenal and three times in a row it was about the referee.
“I’m sorry Arsenal, we won through the referee,’’ the Dutchman said.
Koeman’s past two wins against Arsenal came while he was in charge of Southampton — a 4-0 victory in December 2015 and a 2-0 success 11 months earlier.
Wenger felt that a free-kick was headed behind by Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the 84th minute rather than his marker Laurent Koscielny.
After goalkeeper Petr Cech then pushed behind Phil Jagielka’s strike, Williams headed home from the resulting corner.
“It was not a corner kick,’’ said Wenger. “It was a wrong decision. I am really disappointed because Clattenberg was in a very good position to see that they headed the ball out.
“It is not the first time we were unlucky with his decisions this season, but overall I don’t want to talk about the referee.
“We have to look at ourselves, we lost the game. We started well and then maybe lost a bit of urgency.’’
Arsenal remain second in the Premier League, three points behind Chelsea, while victory for Everton ended a run of five games without a win.
It moved the Toffees up to seventh, four points behind fifth-placed Tottenham.
Koeman, whose side entertain Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Monday, added: “We know if we fight for every ball and we’re aggressive then you see the reaction of the crowd and it’s very difficult to win at Everton away.’’
Wenger has failed to beat a Koeman side in each of the past four meetings.
When Southampton beat Arsenal 4-0 on Boxing Day 2015, Wenger said: “The first goal was offside, the second goal was a foul and the third goal was a goal-kick.
“If you’re a bit below par and have the first three goals against you in the decision-making, then it’s even more difficult.”
And when the Saints won 2-0 in January the same year, he said after the game: “We had chances today (Tuesday) and we were a bit unlucky because when Sanchez was clean through at 2-0 I don’t see how the referee couldn’t give a red card.
“It’s disappointing. It looks like he didn’t get it right there.’’