Andy Carroll has explained his tackle on Gabriel in the first half and admitted that although there was a bit of a tussle between the two players, neither are ‘dirty’.

Well… that’s good to know.

Carroll put himself under pressure after picking up an early yellow card, which probably should have been a red, when he hacked Gabriel down from behind.

The striker, who scored a hat-trick against us to ensure we only left Upton Park for the final time with a point, admitted that he actually enjoyed the battle with Gabriel and, at times, Laurent Koscielny, as that’s what football is about.

The former Newcastle man was also keen to insist that neither player is dirty and that it was all in good fun.

Watch the Man of the Match’s post-match interview below.