Arsenal winger Robert Pires has defended himself against cheat allegations by insisting he did not dive to win a penalty against Portsmouth. Pompey had established a surprise lead at Highbury on Saturday but were pegged back when Pires fell over Dejan Stefanovic's leg.
Thierry Henry converted the resulting spot-kick leaving Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp to rue what he called a terrible decision. But Pires is determined to clear his name after he was subject to a storm of criticism.
He told the Sun: "I don't dive and I'm not a cheat. That is not the way I play. There was contact with my foot and there was a noise. I think the referee heard that and then gave a penalty. I changed shirts with Stefanovic at the end and he asked me, `Was it a foul?' And I said, `I don't know, I'm not the referee."
Filed by Ciaran Cronin
