Mike Dean got a medal at Arsenal vs Sheff Utd despite Wenger's "not honest" dig

28 October 2023 , 04:30

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Mike Dean got a medal at Arsenal vs Sheff Utd despite Wenger's "not honest" dig

Arsenal's meeting with Sheffield United at the Emirates in 2020 saw former Premier League referee Mike Dean honoured with a pre-match presentation that included a medal to mark his 500th game.

The fact that it came at the Emirates will have no doubt stung for both Gunners fans and legendary former manager Arsene Wenger, who clashed with Dean a number of times down the years. Many associated with Arsenal felt the official got a number of high-profile calls wrong against them and as a result, he isn't the most popular figure in the red half of north London.

Dean's most infamous Arsenal-related bust-up came in late December of 2017 when he had a fierce exchange with then-manager Wenger, who labelled the referee a “disgrace”. The clash came after Dean had awarded West Brom a last-gasp penalty at the Hawthorns which saw the Baggies snatch a point late on.

Wenger got a three-game touchline ban and £40,000 fine as a result of his post-match conduct. Dean's report of the incident, which was submitted to the FA, claims: “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’.

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"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."

Few would have guessed that just over three years later, Dean would be getting the red carpet treatment at the Emirates. The game itself was an infuriating one for the Gunners against the Blades, coming just weeks into Mikel Arteta's reign as Arsenal manager.

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Arsene Wenger clashed furiously with Mke Dean

Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring in the 45th minute from close range, but Arsenal failed to hold on and John Fleck's deflected strike ensured the honours ended even and Chris Wilder's side returned to Sheffield with a point to show for their efforts.

Dean was at the centre of some controversy during the game, when he decided not to award Arsenal a penalty after Nicolas Pepe had been brought down, but the call was supported by VAR - though Arteta claimed it was a "very clear" spot-kick.

The two teams meet again this Saturday, though with Dean since retired and Tim Robinson taking charge of his first Arsenal game, Arteta will be hoping for less drama this time around. And now the Gunners are firmly in a title race, he'll be hoping for a much better result as well.

Josh O'Brien