Mourinho: Arsenal players loving the beauty of the grass

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed “there is a desire to go for the grass” among Arsenal’s players.

United won 3-1 at Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday, thanks to Antonio Valencia’s goal and a Jesse Lingard brace.

The visitors had Paul Pogba sent off for a dangerous challenge on Hector Bellerin in the second half, while Gunners centre-back Laurent Koscielny escaped with just a yellow card when he tripped Romelu Lukaku to break up a promising attack. 

Asked by BT Sport for his thoughts on a dismissal that will see Pogba banned for the derby against Manchester City, Mourinho said: “I don’t know.

“I’ll leave that one for you [the media]. 

“I’ll leave for you the Lukaku situation with Koscielny and I’ll leave for you the Arsenal players on the grass but I’ll probably [think] the same because the grass is absolutely beautiful. 

“I think there is a desire to go for the grass!”

It was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who came under fire after accusing City’s Raheem Sterling of diving last month.

But Mourinho may now also find himself in the spotlight, having repeated his poorly disguised criticism of Arsenal in an interview with the BBC.

Quizzed on Pogba’s sending off, he said: “I have no thoughts.

“To speak about the red card I have to speak about [the] Koscielny action, I have to speak about Arsenal players loving the beauty of the grass, I have to speak a lot of things and I don’t.”