Mark Hughes has come out swinging in the press following Arsene Wenger refusing to shake hands in the Carling Cup aftermath that saw Manchester City take Arsenal apart 3 – nil.

Via Guardian

Wenger disappeared down the tunnel as soon as the final whistle sounded on City’s convincing triumph, without offering a handshake to an affronted Hughes. Arsenal’s manager would later dismiss the Carling Cup as insignificant as he launched a familiar defence of fielding youngsters in the competition.

“There is a certain protocol and I am disappointed because I have huge respect for Arsène and I think he should be a little more gracious,” said Hughes.

“It is unnecessary. At one point he questioned why I was over on his side of the technical area and he was aggrieved at that, or maybe he was aggrieved at losing. I have been beaten 6-2 at the Emirates and I offered my hand. You always hurt when you lose. There is nobody more upset than me when we lose but I always offer my hand.”

Wenger was dismissive of the incident as well as the Carling Cup and offered no remorse. The Arsenal manager said: “That has nothing to do with the game. I am free to shake hands with whoever I want to after the game. There is nothing more to say about it.”

When asked if it was professional courtesy to shake a counterpart’s hand, Wenger added: “Yes it is. I had no professional courtesy.”

“We have not won a trophy since 2005 but I don’t concede that, if we win the Carling Cup, we can then have a parade with the trophy. It is a competition for our young players. To play the quarter-final of the Champions League, or the semi-final or final, is 10 times more difficult than to win the Carling Cup.”

Wenger did admit City, who had drawn their previous seven games against Premier League opponents to place added pressure on Hughes, deserved to win. “They carried more threat than us in the final third and their quality offensively paid off,” he said.