Former referee Webb: Teams tended to ‘bully’ Arsenal

Former referee Howard Webb says that Arsenal became easier to handle over time – because teams “bullied them”.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5live, Webb says that the Gunners were difficult to deal with as a referee when he started regulating Premier League games in 2003.

Arsenal were crowned top-flight champions a number of times during that period, including their last Premier League title in 2003/04.

But Webb says that Arsene Wenger’s side became far easier to referee because “teams bullied them”.

“Arsenal became easier to referee over the time, when I first started they were a daunting team to referee,” he said.

“They would get into your head, they got easier, and you got the sense that other teams bullied them on the pitch a bit.”