Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits he was surprised by Rafa Benitez's verbal attack on Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson. After victory over Bolton, Wenger said of the Liverpool manager: "I must say it came as a big surprise because he is usually a quiet man. I wouldn't like to comment further on that. I don't know really what it was about basically.

"I don't know what he [Ferguson] is doing, you don't know, I don't know, nobody knows in the country. I believe that it's not down to me to do that. If Ferguson, Benitez or me do something wrong then you have people around the referees who make reports, I don't want to intervene with that.

"It is important that we focus on the game. When we see something that isn't normal, we tell it. I saw it at Aston Villa and I said that after the game. Apart from that I couldn't see any deep problem for English football in there."

Asked if Benitez's outburst could affect Liverpool's season, Wenger also told arsenal.com: "It depends on the results. It is very difficult, for example, Benitez looked very angry I don't know what happened behind the scenes but it is very difficult to determine what influence it has on the results of the team.

"I remember when I arrived here there was the famous story with Kevin Keegan and Ferguson where, in the end, there was that famous moment where Keegan lost his nerves a little bit and it cost him the championship. I am not convinced though; I think their defensive frailty cost them the championship rather than one moment of their manager losing his cool a little bit.

"It will certainly have an impact on their relationship but not on Ferguson."