Wenger complained to FA about Stoke grass length & tried to get throw-ins banned

Arsene Wenger was so obsessed about bogey team Stoke City he complained to the Football Association about the length of grass and tried to get throw-ins banned.

Arsenal had a dreadful record away to the Potters during Wenger's tenure, losing there five times in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup.

Stoke's direct and aggressive manner of playing was despised by the Frenchman, who it seems exhausted every excuse to try and explain Arsenal's defeats there.

Wenger memorably disparaged Stoke as a 'rugby team' because of their long ball tactics and physicality, a stark contrast to the stylish football Arsenal tried to play.

Former Stoke manager Tony Pulis, who beat Wenger five times during his career, has recalled the unlikely rivalry.

He told the BBC's That Peter Crouch Podcast: 'I always want angles to get players motivated, to put fire into their bellies and something for the supporters to feed off.

'When Wenger first said it, called us a rugby team, it was the third time on the bounce we had beaten them at home.

'He was avoiding the question of how could a team with much less talent than Arsenal, who don't spend anywhere near as much as Arsenal, who haven't got the facilities and capabilities of Arsenal, keep beating Arsenal.

'Patrick Vieira told me, 'We used to hate going to Stoke. You were the only club that Wenger actually talked about and worked on before. We just couldn't beat you.'

'Wenger came one year and complained about the grass being too long. He wrote a letter to the FA. The referees and the linesman had to come and measure the grass.

'I know he talked about banning throw-ins and saying they shouldn't be allowed. That was all music to our ears.'

Rory Delap's long throw-ins became a 'wonderful weapon' for Stoke, according to Pulis, and caused endless problems for Arsenal and other opponents.

Wenger's troubles started during the 2008-09 season following Stoke's promotion into the Premier League. Ricardo Fuller scored from a Delap throw and Stoke went on to win 2-1.

The following season, the pair combined once again to set Stoke on their way to a 3-1 victory in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Arsenal actually won 3-1 at what was then the Britannia Stadium in the league that season, but lost by the same scoreline towards the end of 2010-11.

After back-to-back draws in the next two seasons, Wenger's side went down 1-0 in the 2013-14 campaign and 3-2 the following year.

Another loss, this time 1-0, came at the beginning of Wenger's final season at the helm in 2017-18.