Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has criticised West Ham United’s Marko Arnautovic for his conduct during Saturday’s Premier League clash at the Bet365 Stadium.
Arnautovic joined West Ham from Stoke during the summer, with the 28-year-old leaving the Potters after four years with the club.
The attacker came back to haunt his former team on Saturday afternoon as he scored in West Ham’s 3-0 win.
Arnautovic gestured towards the home supporters after finding the back of the net, and was involved in a spat with Hughes when he was substituted off the field.
The Stoke manager has claimed that the Austrian international should have expected ‘a little bit of baiting’, and has accused him of being disrespectful to the club that helped save his career.
Hughes told reporters:
“There was a little bit of baiting obviously, but did he not expect that?”
“I had better be careful because it sounds like sour grapes [but] I think he should have risen above any criticism or abuse that he had.
“He had enough at other places, and this place was actually very, very good for him. The fans loved him here. So to burn all your bridges after just one game, he didn’t need to do it.”
Arnautovic was criticised for his form in the early stages of the 2017-18 campaign, but the attacker has now scored two goals in his last three West Ham appearances.
