Wenger still hasn't forgiven Rooney for penalty dive

Arsene Wenger last night risked re-igniting a row with Wayne Rooney ahead of tomorrow’s title showdown.

Wenger insists he has still not forgiven Rooney for diving to win a penalty in October 2004 in a Manchester United victory which ended Arsenal’s 49 game unbeaten run.

Arsenal boss Wenger also claimed Rooney “pushed the border“ between “intelligence and cheating“ to win a penalty at Old Trafford earlier this season when United beat the Gunners.

Wenger said: “You know how strikers are. There is no angel. They play a game. If you look at penalty at Old Trafford this year you can not say it is not a penalty because Almunia really goes for it.

“But the ball was already out and Rooney took advantage of the fact Almunia had already dived. You can say that it is intelligent. But the border between intelligence and starting to cheat, every striker plays with that.

”I think with the first one (in 2004), I don’t agree with it. For the first one, Sol Campbell did not touch him at all.

“It is not cheating, it is being a striker, but you always have to push a little bit. Sometimes you go a little bit over the limit but that is part of the game of a striker.”

Wenger is still hoping Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen is fit to face United tomorrow (Sun) after making an incredible recovery from injury after initially fearing he had broken his leg at Aston Villa on Wednesday.

But veteran Sol Campbell - ironically who was the defender involved in the diving row against Rooney in 2004 - is on standby to replace Vermaelen which would be the 35-year-old’s first Premier League start since rejoining Arsenal.

Wenger yesterday tribute to Campbell’s attitude and added: “He worked for three months every day and I think for 60 days it was without working with our team, just fitness. We pushed him really hard.

“We have had some players here with a good attitude but I was very impressed with Sol’s attitude. He is very fit and I think he’ll be able to cope with Rooney.”