And the Premier League’s referees boss Mike Riley has confirmed the new Video Assistant Referee system, being used for the first time in this country tonight the FA Cup third-round clash between Brighton and Crystal Palace, would have proved that Arsenal defender Calum Chambers did not deliberately handle the ball at West Brom last weekend.

Wenger began his three game touchline ban yesterday at Arsenal’s third-round tie at Championship side Nottingham Forest.

But a former top referee has confirmed that Dean, who gave the penalty for handball that led to Jay Rodriguez earning a last-minute point for Albion, had texted fellow officials to say he got the decision wrong.

Riley, manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, confirmed VAR would have spared Wenger from his outrage.

“You award the penalty because what you have seen on the pitch is the arm coming towards the ball,” said Riley “What is handball can look to you on the field of play if you get one look at it. But immediately there is evidence from another camera angle which shows actually the opposite happened. That is the safety net of the VAR.

“I think Chambers would have been over-turned. The question you ask is, is it an act of deliberate handball? And the reverse angle shows him trying to bring his arm out of the way of the ball, rather than the reverse.

“I know Mike would have over-turned it. He messages people, and he’s a very honest guy, and he goes, ‘I got it wrong’. He knows he did.”