Cesc Fabregas stands accused of getting fellow Spaniard Mikel Arteta sent off in an acrimonious Barclays Premier League clash at Goodison Park which saw Arsenal reclaim top spot.

Midfielder Fabregas was caught by Arteta's arm six minutes before the end of the Gunners' 4-1 defeat of Everton and flung himself to the ground clutching his face.

Everton boss David Moyes was furious and the home fans chanted "cheat, cheat" at the 20 year-old as referee Martin Atkinson showed Arteta the red card.

Moyes' after-match condemnation of Fabregas was laced with sarcasm as he said: "Fabregas obviously has a broken jaw or he would not have rolled around like he did."

Moyes' anger was heightened by the fact Arteta will now miss three games while Arsenal youngster Nicklas Bendtner will only miss one for his earlier dismissal for a shocking tackle on Andrew Johnson.

Bendtner had already been booked and was shown only a second yellow card for the lunge at Johnson.

Moyes said: "I don't make the rules, it was probably the wrong decision by the referee to show a yellow for (Bendtner's) tackle, it should have been a straight red.

"It doesn't help our case, but it's over now. I can't do anything about it.

"I have said since the derby (with Liverpool in October) that I will not get involved too much with referees, we will just have to take it.

"But compare the incidents. We lose Mikel for three games while Bendtner only misses one for two yellows, you should see the state of Johnson's shin.

"We won't be appealing, you have seen what happens to everyone else when they appeal these days."

Fabregas and Arteta are known to be good friends who often speak to each other on the phone but the Arsenal man was unrepentant over his reaction to the challenge.

He said: "He is my friend but this is football. It just happened.

"The one thing I am sure about is that he put his elbow in my face and that is a red card."

Arteta was angered at his dismissal although he refused to condemn his countryman.

"I don't blame Cesc for what happened, but the referee got it wrong," Arteta said.

"He should have seen that it was just a coming together of players and nothing intentional, it was not a red card.

"The referee has to know the players and the way I play - I always use my arms. I never try to hurt anybody or kick someone because I am not a player like that.

"I can't understand it. He didn't whistle when the challenge was done but after three seconds when he saw Fabregas on the floor I knew he was going to send me off."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger defended Fabregas, insisting: "Arteta touched Fabregas, I asked him if he felt it was intentional because I had not seen it clearly, but he said he was caught.

"I do not think Fabregas made more of it than it was, I was told he (Arteta) touched him close to the ear and Cesc felt a big pain. Whether it is a red card or not is down to the referee."

Everton had dominated the first half with Tim Cahill giving them a deserved lead in the 19th minute.

But the Toffees came unstuck in the second period when Brazilian-born Croatia international Eduardo da Silva scored two quick goals.

The second, however, was contentious and Moyes added: "Everybody in the crowd saw the lad handle for their second goal, everyone knew."

But whatever the ramifications of the two red cards, it was Everton who contributed to their own downfall, failing to handle Arsenal's long-ball game.

Emmanuel Adebayor took advantage of a shambolic piece of defending between Joseph Yobo and goalkeeper Tim Howard to add a third and Tomas Rosicky rammed in the fourth late on.

Wenger felt his side had proved they can ally their usual fluent approach to a more physical game when necessary.

He said: "We showed we can battle, we have shown that we can cope with all kinds of challenges, that is always a sign of a very good side.

"Many times when we don't win, people question the way we play. But when we win everybody loves it.

"We have to be efficient as well, because when you don't win people do question you."

Moyes could still not resist a dig, having had his physical, long-ball tactics criticised by Wenger in the past.

He said: "For all the stuff talked about the way they play, it was not their usual type of goals that beat us.

"We cannot hide that we made mistakes for the goals, but I will take some convincing that Arsenal were better than us.

"It was us who played the football and Arsenal who went direct. I'd find it hard to view it differently."

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