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LONDON -- Arsene Wenger bristled at the suggestion that Arsenal benefited from bad decisions from the officials in Saturday's 2-0 win over Tottenham, but Mauricio Pochettino said the opening goal was a result of "a massive mistake" by referee Mike Dean. Shkodran Mustafi gave Arsenal the lead with a header from Mesut Ozil's free kick, although replays suggested he was marginally offside. Pochettino also argued that Davinson Sanchez had not fouled Alexis Sanchez in the build-up to the goal, and said Dean was decisive in the outcome of the game. "It wasn't a foul and then it was offside. It's very clear, no?" Pochettino told a news conference. There was also a hint of offside to Arsenal's second goal, when Alexandre Lacazette set up Alexis Sanchez before half-time. But Wenger said that Arsenal's win was entirely justified and angrily denied that his team had benefitted from refereeing decisions -- comparing the tight calls to the clear offside goal scored by Manchester City against his team at the Etihad in their last game. "Two weeks ago we conceded a goal that was not marginally offside, that was a yard offside, that nobody found a word to say [anything about]," Wenger said. "So now when it was marginally -- and I watched it again, it's not sure it was offside. And it was a foul. So suddenly, when we concede the goals it's absolutely normal, even if they are a yard offside and when they are maybe, you have to answer that in a press conference." The win was Wenger's first in the Premier League against Pochettino, the longest he's had to wait against any Spurs manager. It also extended the Gunners' home winning streak to 11 matches in the league, their longest since moving to the Emirates, and restored bragging rights after finishing below Spurs in the table last season. But Pochettino said Tottenham had been the better side until the opening goal. "It's so difficult to explain when you lose in this way, with some details that maybe are big details and change everything. Because until that moment, [Granit] Xhaka maybe should be sent off before, the foul wasn't a foul, the goal was offside," he said. "It changed of course the dynamic of the game. But we need to accept that. That is not under our control. If you analyse the game, until we conceded the goal, I think the team was doing well, I think we were better than them. "But in the end it was even, the game. But when it's a massive mistake like this, which is not one mistake, it's two mistakes on the goal ... At that moment, your plan changed. And I think that affected the team, and then we conceded a goal quickly, 2-0. And then to come back in this type of game is always difficult." For Arsenal, though, this performance answered some of their critics after falling 12 points behind league leaders Manchester City. Sanchez and Ozil in particular were excellent after having their commitment questioned in light of them rejecting new contracts to stay at the club. But Wenger said that he wasn't surprised by their performance. "If you have to give me one credit, I never questioned [their commitment]," he said. "Because I know them well and I know that when these guys go on the football pitch they want to win the football game. And they've shown their commitment again today. "They can have bad games. But the problem is when a player goes to the end of their contract, if he has a bad game, everybody says: 'Of course, because he goes.' But their interest is to play anyway." Wenger sounded doubtful when asked if these types of wins could convince Sanchez and Ozil to stay at the club. "The quality of the contract has to be good and enough for them as well. I'm convinced they love the club, they love the team. But all the rest will be decided. When, I don't really know," he said. "The whole thing has to be right. They have to be happy. They love the club, they want to stay. But there are other top clubs out there who can offer good contracts as well."
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