Arsène Wenger will discover the extent of his punishment for pushing fourth official Anthony Taylor on Friday, and remains adamant that he does not deserve a severe punishment.

The Arsenal manager has not contested the improper conduct charge that followed his altercation with Taylor in the final minute of Sunday's 2-1 home victory over Burnley.

Wenger, who had been sent to the stands, was seen to shove the official when Taylor instructed him to leave the tunnel area. The Frenchman is also accused of using abusive language.

Wenger has requested a personal hearing, however, and will argue that his offences do not merit a lengthy ban.

"I have said much worse than what I did and was not punished," he said. "And I have heard much worse from other people.”

It is not the first time Wenger has lost his cool with officials, although the Football Association have not issued him with a touchline ban since 2010.

17 years ago he was handed a 12-match ban after being accused of pushing Paul Taylor, the fourth official at a match at Sunderland in August.



On that occasion Wenger was able to offer an argument convincing enough that the violent conduct charges were completely quashed but it would be a surprise if a ban of two or more games did not follow after today's hearing.

Alan Pardew received a two-match ban in 2012 for pushing an assistant ref when he was in charge at Newcastle. Wenger recalled the time he was sent to the stands at Manchester United for kicking a water bottle.

"If I am punished, the only thing I can say is that I thought when I was sent off I was surprised and I was in the tunnel because I thought I had the right to be in the tunnel," he said.

Wenger was sent to the stands at Old Trafford in 2009 (Getty)

"Last time I was sent off wrongly, in 2009, I had to go in the stand at Old Trafford and I didn’t know where to go. No one tells you what you have to do when you are sent off.

Wenger has also had to deal with claims that Granit Xhaka, the Switzerland midfielder, racially abused a Heathrow staff member on Monday.

"I have talked with him about it and he completely denies what happened there," said Wenger of Xhaka, who is banned for Saturday's FA Cup clash with Southampton after being sent off for a bad challenge on Burnley's Steven Defour.