So, we are off and running for the season with a point at St. James'. Something that's proven to be oh-so-common there of late with 6 out of our last 9 visits ending in a stalemate. And just like last season, it was an Arsenal debutant that saw red.
The Talking Point:
With Laurent Koscielny receieving his marching orders at Anfield on the opening day of 2010/11, Arsenal would have been keen to avoid a repeat this year. But in the 75th minute, Gervinho took a tumble in the box and all hell broke loose. After reviewing the incident on MOTD2 a few times, I can't really fathom how Barton was not sent off too. Sure, Gervinho raised his hand which is always a no-go, but Barton both provoked the incident, and then took part in a moment of Rivaldo circa. 2002 play-acting to make sure the Ivorian saw red.
Later that night, the magpies midfielder tweeted: "I went down easy, no doubt. Still cant raise ur(sic) hands. Ref got it right."
"I don't understand the red card," said Wenger. "I am 100% sure the referee did not see what happened. I think he has his back turned to the incident. If he had seen it, he would have sent both of them off, or nobody. Will I appeal? I will have a good look at it but I am tempted to say yes."
Positives:
After a summer of worry over our defensive capabilities, it was reassuring to see us keep a clean sheet on our travels. Koscielny, who was interestingly preferred to Djourou as Vermaelen's defensive partner, performed admirably and came closest to breaking the deadlock whilst Gibbs looked assured in his new role as Arsenal's no.1 left-back.
Negatives:
With Fabregas gone and Nasri soon to follow, you have to question where the creativity will come from in the Gunners midfield. With Wilshere and Walcott also missing, the club lacked any real spark going forward and found breaking down a very average Newcastle defence very hard work.
Conclusion:
In a drab opening Premier League weekend, the highlight was perhaps Manchester United assistant Mick Phelan's new beard. And though the Gunners struggled in attack, a point away from home is never a bad start to the season, especially given the fact fellow rivals Liverpool and Chelsea also dropped points.
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