London – Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany said there was no question of his pulling out of future tackles despite being sent off in the champions' 2-0 Premier League win at Arsenal on Sunday.
Kompany was dismissed 15 minutes from time by referee Mike Dean at the Emirates Stadium on the grounds he'd used excessive force in tackling Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, despite getting to the ball first.
The 26-year-old central defender used his Twitter account to say that while he sympathised with Dean, it was likely he would appeal against the red card.
“Massive congrats to our team and fans, great game! Also. No grudges against the referee, I understand the difficulty of the job,” tweeted Kompany after a win that saw City stay seven points behind leaders Manchester United.
“About the tackle: If the ball is overrun by the opponent and a 50/50 challenge occurs, collision is inevitable.”
He added: “Ultimately I'm a defender: Appeal may work or not. I will never pull out of a challenge, as much as I will never intend to injure a player.
“It's about the team and our team looks strong at the moment. We need to maintain this level of performance.”
Meanwhile, City manager Roberto Mancini was also upset by a decision which could leave his side without their captain for three matches.
“It was not a sending off – I have seen the TV replays and he goes in with his left foot with his right foot trailing behind - it was not a sending off,” said the Italian boss.
However, Kompany risks being banned for a further match if he launches an unsuccessful appeal – a suspension which would see him miss the Liverpool visit at the start of February.
First-half goals from James Milner and Edin Dzeko secured victory against an Arsenal side who themselves played most of the match a man down after defender Laurent Koscielny saw red for a 10th minute foul on Dzeko. – Sapa-AFP