Wenger and Houllier condemn referee

McAllister is the first of three sendings off at Highbury

Arsene Wenger and Gerard Houllier jointly condemned referee Graham Poll after he sent off three players in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Liverpool at Highbury.

Patrick Vieira was dismissed for the second consecutive game for two bookable offences.

He could now miss five games through suspension, including matches against Manchester United and Chelsea.

While Liverpool were reduced to nine men after Gary McAllister was controversially sent off in the first-half and Dietmar Hamann followed for an innocuous-looking second bookable offence.

Speaking on Radio 5 Live, former Arsenal manager Terry Neill was the latest to criticise Poll for being heavy handed.

Immense pressure

"I thought it was a poor performance by the referee. I am normally a great defender of refs. They are under immense pressure with the pace of the modern game and the instructions from the powers that be.

"I am all for cutting out rough play and trying to encourage open attacking football. But one has to have sympathy with Vieira."

Neill feels that Wenger will now have to "reassure and support" Vieira who reports suggested may be ready to quit Premiership football.

"He does not have a great record and his first thought will be 'do I really need this?'"

The ref is human, he makes mistakes sometimes but at the end of day Patrick took a red card again

  Arsene Wenger

Speaking after the game Wenger said: "It's a very sad night for us. They will say I'm whinging but I believe he played the ball both times, maybe I am wrong - that's how I see football.

"The ref is human, he makes mistakes sometimes but at the end of day Patrick took a red card again. I can only think about that, it's difficult for him to respond well - I don't think he's going to do that on the pitch but it's all too much."

Liverpool manager Houllier said the referee had made a number of terrible decisions.

Heavy handed

Television replays showed he gave a corner, from which Arsenal scored their first goal, which was clearly a goal kick.

And he believed Poll was heavy handed with all the red cards.

Houllier believes the Football Association has got to take action on bad refereeing decisions.

He said: "I think he (Vieira) tackled the ball, our boys said that. He was very unfortunate to be sent off.

"It's not as if he (McAllister) had thrown his two legs for the tackle, in which case I would have understood him being sent off. That was not the case.

I hope the FA are going to watch this video again - three games for a tackle like that?

  Gerard Houllier

"I think he (the referee) just made a fuss of it.

"How can you send a player off like that when there are so many tackles in the game? It spoiled the game.

"I hope the FA are going to watch this video again - three games for a tackle like that?

"I think Mr Poll had a bad game today, he had a very bad game and his assistant. Maybe it is the start of the season.

"We are very unlucky with Mr Poll, I have never won with him - that is clear."