Vincent Kompany took to Twitter to launch his defence after a 74th minute dismissal in City's 2-0 win over Arsenal.

The 26-year old was adjudged to have used excessive force in the challenge which saw him join Laurent Koscielny in the dressing room during a hot blooded encounter at the Emirates Stadium.

Kompany refused to openly criticize referee Mike Dean but hinted that he would be appealing the decision on his Twitter account @VincentKompany.

“Massive congrats to our team and fans, great game! Also. No grudges against the referee, I understand the difficulty of the job,” the 26-year old tweeted.

“About the tackle: If the ball is overrun by the opponent and a 50/50 challenge occurs, collision is inevitable.”

The defender then posted a link to a picture which appears to show him sliding in with one foot, in control of his body.

“Ultimately I’m a defender: Appeal may work or not. I will never pull out of a challenge, as much as I will never intend to injury a player,” he stated.

“It’s about the team and our team looks strong at the moment. We need to maintain this level of performance.”

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker agreed with Vincent’s take on the challenge and Vincent offered to give quotes to Sunday night’s edition of Match of the Day 2 to explain the incident.

Roberto Mancini also fumed at the decision which could leave City without their captain for three games.

“It was not a sending off – I have seen the TV replays and he goes in with his left foot with his right foot trailing behind - it was not a sending off” Mancini said.

Kompany risks being banned for a further match if he launches an unsuccessful appeal - a ban which would see him miss the Liverpool visit at the start of February. 

We’ll let you know if Vincent does go ahead with the appeal and what the FA’s decision is here on mcfc.co.uk.