Wenger 'very aggressive' towards referee Dean, says FA

Arsene Wenger was "very aggressive" as he questioned the integrity of referee Mike Dean in the incident that earned the Arsenal manager his three-match touchline ban.

The Football Association (FA) has published its written reasons for Wenger's suspension, which followed events in the aftermath of the Gunners' 1-1 Premier League draw at West Brom on December 31.

Wenger was angered by the award of a penalty against Calum Chambers for handball, from which Jay Rodriguez netted Albion's 89th-minute equaliser. This prompted the Frenchman - who was also fined £40,000 for his actions - to confront Dean when he returned to his dressing room, where he branded the official a "disgrace".

Offering his take on events post-match, Dean stated: "As we've entered the dressing room after the game Mr Wenger stood behind us in the doorway and told the West Brom steward to 'let him in'. "He was very aggressive, leaning towards me, pointing aggressively at me saying 'you're not honest' on numerous occasions. "I replied, 'so you’re calling me a cheat'. He replied, 'I maintain what I say, you’re not honest'. He then said, 'you've done this to us many times before, you're supposed to be professional, you're a disgrace'. "He was then ushered out of the room by the West Brom safety officer."

Arsenal failed to win any of Wenger's matches away from the touchline, drawing the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final at Chelsea 0-0 in between respective FA Cup and Premier League defeats to Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. The 68-year-old was also given a formal warning from the FA following his comments after a 2-2 league draw at Emirates Stadium, where he suggested Eden Hazard winning a second-half penalty was again indicative of bias against his side. "We got again a farcical decision on the penalty but we knew that as well before so we have to deal with that," he told a news conference.