Dennis Bergkamp has refuted Blackburn manager Graeme Souness's claim that he should have been sent off for deliberately hitting defender Nils-Eric Johansson in the face.

Bergkamp scored the winner in Arsenal's 3-2 victory, and Souness said: 'There is no way he should have been on the pitch. I saw my player smacked in the mouth by Bergkamp.'

Asked if he thought referee Dermot Gallagher took no action because he had earlier sent off Arsenal's Oleg Luzhny, Souness said: 'That is 100 per cent correct. If you smack somebody in the mouth, he has to go.

'Arsene Wenger didn't think he did anything wrong. Maybe in France, football is different.'

But Dutch striker Bergkamp, who was sent off in Sunday's controversial clash with Liverpool, insisted: 'It was an accident. I was protecting the ball and I caught him. There was no intention, it was just an accident.

'It was strange to hear those comments from Graeme Souness because he is quite a fair guy. I had no intention of hitting the player. After last Sunday, I was trying to be very careful.'

The Football Association video panel may still decide to review the incident and charge Bergkamp.

Wenger said: 'I didn't see Dennis Bergkamp do anything wrong.'

He also had doubts about the second yellow card given to Luzhny for a foul on Turkish midfielder Tugay, saying: 'Luzhny did not touch him. The video shows that clearly.'