Arsene Wenger says Cesc Fabregas' dangerous tackle was 'accidental' in Arsenal victory over Wolves

Arsene Wenger believes a tackle by Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas, which left Wolves' Stephen Ward injured, was 'accidental'.

Wenger has, in the past, complained about the rough treatment handed to his players at the hands of opposition.

With the game poised at 1-0, Gunners’ captain Fabregas slid in to challenge Ward, as the Wolves player attempted to clear down the line. The challenge caught Ward on the ankle, and the defender was stretchered off, to be replaced by Stephen Fletcher.

Wenger however, drew little attention to the matter saying it was an accident on Fabregas’ part and was simply a measure of the physical nature of the game.

"I think it was accidental," he said. "He wanted to play the ball. He went to the dressing room and apologised to the player. It was completely accidental."

The Frenchman added the encounter was a good one and Wolves were unlucky not to get something from a game which they mostly dominated.

Wenger added: "Overall, it was a very committed game. Wolves were physically strong and kept a high tempo. I like the commitment of the physical game in England.

"You have to give credit to Wolves, they have a good mix and will cause anyone problems. I was impressed with them."

In a game Wenger had admitted it was vital Arsenal won, the manager was pleased with his team’s response to their recent defeat to Newcastle and their resilience against a tough Wolves team.

"The victory was so important for us and we focused on defending tonight," he said. "He [Marouane Chamakh] was not sharp on Sunday. I thought he would be sharp tonight. He has been decisive in many games this season."

In the second half, Arsenal relied heavily on goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to keep them in the game, as the shot stopper pulled off save after save to keep the home team at bay. The Pole had been criticised for gifting Newcastle’s goal, but Wenger insisted he had faith in his player, saying tonight showed his worth.

He said: "I think he did extremely well. he made a fantastic save late on. I know that he is a great keeper."