On a day when some of Wigan’s various ‘game management’ tactics could have led to yellow cards being handed out from very early on, it was rather ironic that Chris Wilder received one after a very visible difference of opinions with Wigan boss Shaun Maloney.

Wilder went into the book towards the end of the game after he and Maloney exchanged heated words and some finger pointing.

It came shortly after referee Graham Scott had stopped play for what appeared an injury to a Wigan defender which led one of their players to kick the ball out deep inside his own half.

When played resumed, Mario Gaspar threw the ball to Joao Pedro, who then kicked it back out of play – it still gave Wigan possession but the more standard behaviour is for the ball to be thrown back to the keeper.

“Their boy goes down, and we don’t have a right to throw the ball back because he’s not injured,” explained Wilder.

“My message to my player was throw them the ball back. I didn’t say ‘I tell you what, throw it to Joao Pedro and he’ll kick it out of play’. I didn’t say that. I had nothing to do with that.

“Shaun had a little bit of a nip at me, and I’m going to come back and defend my box and my club. I said give the ball back and he said I’ve not done that.

“I don’t know what else he wanted me to do. I told the fourth official and I said plainly when the ball went out of play, throw them the ball back.

“Was I happy with the situation? No. The boy goes down, he’s not injured, we lose momentum and the game gets broken up.

“There was emotion of course and that will always come into play. I’ve always been the same.

“He said something I didn’t agree with and I replied in the way I imagine he would expect me to.

“I was booked for stepping out of my technical area and stepping into his (Wigan’s). Dear me: Mikel Arteta should be on about 50 yellows shouldn’t he?!”