Wenger confident of appeal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says his conscience is clear as he prepares his fight to overturn a 12-game touchline ban imposed by the Football Association.

Wenger insists he will trust in the "justice of the FA" as he bids to ensure he is not punished for a tunnel incident with fourth official Paul Taylor after the season's opener at Sunderland.

However, he is leaving nothing to chance and will take two barristers to argue his case at the FA's Soho Square headquarters today.

Wenger was charged under newly-introduced FA punishment guidelines with "alleged threatening behaviour and physical intimidation" towards Taylor after the Gunners' 1-0 defeat at Sunderland last August.

Arsenal were angry at Patrick Vieira's late dismissal, with Wenger arguing that Sunderland's Darren Williams had over-reacted to get the Frenchman sent off.

Taylor reported Wenger for shoving him, but Wenger insists he was intervening, along with Taylor, in a row brewing between Williams and Thierry Henry.