Arsenal's Alexander Hleb faces being banned for
the rest of the season if the FA call for video evidence of his clash
with Graham Murty.
Television replays appeared to show the
Belarus star slapping Reading skipper Murty in the face in the second
half of Arsenal's 2-0 win on Saturday and although it was missed by
referee Peter Walton and his assistants, it was spotlighted on BBC TV's
'Match of the Day'.
If found guilty of violent conduct Hleb would face a
three-match ban - with Arsenal now only left with games against Derby,
Everton and Sunderland to complete their season.
An FA spokesman said: "The first thing is to wait and see the
referee's report but that is not necessarily the end of the matter."
The FA can call for video evidence from any match if they deem
it necessary to apply justice to a clear offence which a referee has
failed to punish.
The circumstances are certainly not without precedent as far as Arsenal are concerned.
Nearly 20 years ago their midfielder Paul Davis was banned for
nine matches after TV footage showed him retaliating to verbal abuse
with an off-the-ball punch which broke a Southampton player's jaw
during a match.
Although Hleb's slap appeared to be only a comparatively minor
contact, Arsenal's former striker Jeremie Aliadiere was recently banned
for four matches after appealing against a red card while playing for
Middlesbrough having been sent off following a spat with Liverpool's
Javier Mascherano.
Alan Shearer, former England striker and BBC TV soccer pundit
recalled the Aliadiere case in referring to Hleb and said: "I think the
FA have to do something about this one, too."
Reading manager Steve Coppell, who saw his side dragged deeper
into the relegation fight with a 2-0 defeat at The Emirates, admits he
does not understand the system by which players can be suspended for
offences the referee has missed.
He said: "It is clear for all to see on the tape. I don't
think, in these circumstances, that anyone can say 'please, FA, look at
it.' I don't know what the procedure is.
"It seems some mystery man phones in and says 'have a look at
this piece of tape.'and then three other mystery men men make a
decision on whether further action is required.
"The whole situation is unexplainable but maybe someone sitting in a front room will do something about it."
