Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has accused Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia of headbutting El Hadji Diouf during Saturday's defeat.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger claimed ex-Bolton forward Diouf should have been sent off for a reckless first half lunge on Almunia.

But Allardyce, Wenger's arch-enemy from his Bolton days, accused Almunia of butting Diouf in a penalty-box flare-up shortly afterwards.

Allardyce said angrily: "Almunia nutted him - but you never write about that, do you? Diouf had made a silly challenge and there was no need to make it.

"The goalkeeper was just going to kick it out for a throw-in to us so we took away our own advantage by giving away the foul."

But Wenger, renewing old rivalries with bitter enemy Allardyce, said: "He could have been sent off. I have to see it again but it didn't look to me that he had any chance to play the ball.

"Almunia has a sprained ankle and we will see how he responds. But it takes a lot for him to get that upset."