Arsene Wenger: 'Francis Coquelin was not lucky to remain on pitch'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has refuted claims that Francis Coquelin was lucky to avoid being sent off in their Premier League game against Crystal Palace, adding that crowd pressure led to his substitution.

The Gunners midfielder was shown a yellow card on 41 minutes for a sliding challenge on Yannick Bolasie.

He was then let off by Lee Mason either side of the break for subsequent fouls before his manager substituted him midway through the second half.

Wenger told Sky Sports News: "I felt [the referee's decision not to award Coquelin a second yellow] wasn't fortunate.

"I would like to see that again but in the end the pressure created by the crowd meant I took him off. When you are 2-1 up and he is playing quite well that's difficult. It's a sensitive decision."

Arsenal beat Palace 2-1 thanks to Olivier Giroud's first-half scissor kick and Damien Delaney's own goal in the second half.