ARTHUR MASUAKA WILL get a six game ban after spitting at an opponent as West Ham crashed out of the FA Cup at League One Wigan.
Masuaka was given his marching orders in the 49th minute for spitting at Nick Powell.
The red card incident came as Masuaka took exception to a heavy challenge by Powell.
BT Sport pundit Dean Saunders was disgusted with what he saw as he watched the game in a studio.
Saunders said: “He spat at him, which is unforgivable. Honestly, I’d rather be punched in the face than spat at.
That’s disgusting, what he’s just done. Right behind him there’s a ball boy sat on a box watching and thinking ‘that’s how you behave on a football pitch.’ They’ve got to throw the book at him.”
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Quite what Masuaka was thinking must have been beyond manager David Moyes whose side were already a goal down by then after Will Grigg’s sixth minute far post header.
The second goal followed in the 62nd minute as Grigg converted from the spot after a handball by Reece Burke, who had a spell on loan at the DW Stadium last season.
Having beaten Bournemouth in a replay in the third round this was another notable scalp even if it was against a West Ham side short of ten players through injury.
How many of those will be fit for the game against Crystal Palace on Tuesday remains to be seen.
Either way the 5,000 travelling fans were less than happy calling for their money back and the board to be sacked.
It was their first defeat in eight games but still a long way to come for such a poor showing.
Wigan totally deserved their first half lead when Griggs headed in Nathan Byrne’s cross from the right to the far post.
Joe Hart got a hand to it but not a strong enough one to keep the ball out.
He could have done better and the watching Gareth Southgate cannot ignore the mounting evidence against the one time undisputed England number one.
Of course the last time he had faced Wigan in the FA Cup was in the 2013 final when he was beaten by another corner.
Ben Watson’s famous flick from a corner that provided one of the biggest shocks in a final in this competition.
The stage of the competition and venue was not quite enough to match those memories for Wigan fans yesterday.
Still they have not had a huge amount to shout about since that triumph after losing their Premier League statues just days later.
Two more relegations and one promotion have followed leaving them in the First Division, but top of it.
Indeed only the two Manchester clubs can better their 24 competitive wins in all comps this season under manager Paul Cook.
That victory was sealed by Griggs penalty on a day David Moyes and particularly Masuaka would rather forget.
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