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Iwobi’s leg heavily bandaged, could be sidelined for two weeks

By Editor
22 February 2017   |   3:59 am
Arsenal’s FA Cup victory over non-League Sutton United may have come at a cost as Alex Iwobi’s leg had to be wrapped up in a bandage after the 2-0 win.

Sutton United’s English midfielder Craig Eastmond (R) vies with Arsenal’s Nigerian striker Alex Iwobi during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Sutton United and Arsenal at the Borough Sports Ground, Gander Green Lane in south London on February 20, 2017. PHOTO: Glyn KIRK / AFP

Wayne Shaw’s pie-eating investigated by FA, Gambling Commission
Arsenal’s FA Cup victory over non-League Sutton United may have come at a cost as Alex Iwobi’s leg had to be wrapped up in a bandage after the 2-0 win. The Nigerian winger revealed his battle wound on Snapchat with the 20-year-old posting a picture of his foot along with a bandaged emoji.

Iwobi was able to carry on after Jamie Collins’ poor challenge in the first half but he was eventually taken off in the 74th minute.
Collins escaped punishment from Premier League official Michael Oliver during the highly anticipated FA Cup fifth-round tie at Gander Green Lane.

Alexis Sanchez came off the bench to replace Iwobi much to the surprise of spectators and pundits alike.

Arsene Wenger insisted star man Sanchez was not at risk by playing on Sutton’s much-talked about plastic pitch.

‘Alexis is more a guy who has very good co-ordination, he is light on his feet. I don’t think it was a risk.’

Iwobi will be hoping to be back in action in time for Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield on March 4.

The Gunners are not in action this weekend as scheduled opponents Southampton are competing in the EFL Cup final against Manchester United on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Sutton reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw is under investigation by the Football Association for potentially breaching betting rules during Monday’s FA Cup loss to Arsenal.

The Gambling Commission is also investigating if there was a breach of betting regulations after Shaw ate a pie in the 83rd minute of the game.

Before Monday’s game, a bookmaker offered odds of 8-1 that Shaw would eat a pie on camera during the match.
He later said it was “a bit of fun”.

Shaw, 46, ate the pie while standing by the substitutes’ bench.

He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme that the pie was in fact a pasty and he ate it as he was “light-headed”.

“We are told we are not allowed to gamble as it is full-time professional football,” he added. “In no way did I put anyone in jeopardy of that – this is not the case here, this is just a bit of fun and me being hungry.”

Asked whether he knew if anyone had taken up the bet, he told the Daily Mail: “I think there were a few people. I think a few mates and a few of the fans.”

The Gambling Commission, which licenses and regulates gambling in Britain, says it is looking into whether there was any “irregularity in the betting market and establishing whether the operator has met its licence requirement to conduct its business with integrity”.

It warned operators in June last year about the integrity of taking bets on novelty markets.

“Integrity in sport is not a joke and we have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened,” said enforcement and intelligence director Richard Watson.
Sun Bets, who sponsored the club on Monday for the fifth-round tie, tweeted that it had paid out a “five-figure sum” on the bet.

Sutton manager Paul Doswell said after the game: “I don’t think it shows us in the best light.”
Club chairman Bruce Elliott told 5 live: “I didn’t know anything about it. He has got himself in the papers again and the fame obviously has gone to his head a little bit, but we will soon bring him back down to earth, don’t worry about that.”

Shaw said he was told about the betting promotion before the game.

“I thought I would give them a bit of banter and let’s do it,” he added. “All the subs were on and we were 2-0 down.

“It was just a bit of banter for them. It is something to make the occasion as well and you can look back and say it was part of it and we got our ticket money back.”

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