By Chris Wright
“What? You said ‘Go to bread'”
The year was 2009 and, with his team trailing 2-1 against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Arsene Wenger made the heinous mistake of punting a defenceless water bottle up in the air after Arsenal had an last-gasp equaliser nixed for offside in the dying minutes of the game.
The vicious assault was spotted by the ever-vigilant eyes of fourth official Lee Probert who duly snitched to referee Mike Dean who in turn, after a ridiculous confab between the two, declared that Wenger be banished to the bowels of the stadium for his crimes against Evian.
This led to the famous tableau of an incredulous Wenger clambering up into the stands and taking up a position, arms outstretched, directly above the United dugout, wilfully misinterpreting Dean’s marching orders as if to highlight the absurdity of it all.
A more pathetic, finicky display of officiating you’re never likely to see – though Gordon Strachan’s brilliantly sarcastic narration of the incident on Match of the Day 2 later that night made for pure punditry gold…
Don’t you just love it when Gordon gets all snarky?