Arsenal had to work hard to find a way past 10-man Newcastle as a second-half own goal from Fabricio Coloccini secured a narrow 1-0 Premier League victory on Saturday.
McClaren was getting his glasses out there for Marriner. That #nufc swear-box might be full after this. Still defended well, Krul excellent.
Arsene Wenger’s side maintained their 100 per cent away record but struggled to make the most of their 74-minute numerical advantage following an early red card for Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic at St James’ Park.
They finally broke the deadlock when an angled drive from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain deflected in off Coloccini seven minutes after the restart to secure a second win of the season for the north London club going into the international break.
The hosts remain without a league win so far, leaving them on two points from their opening four games as they succumbed to an eighth consecutive defeat to Wenger’s men.
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Even in defeat, Steve McClaren’s team emerged with credit for a dogged rearguard display fuelled by a sense of injustice following what they felt was a harsh sending-off for their Serbian international.
In only his second Premier League start since a €19 million move from Belgian side Anderlecht, Mitrovic was ordered off for a 16th-minute challenge on Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin, whose overly-dramatic reaction appeared to play a part in referee Andre Marriner’s decision to brandish a straight red card.
It was a clumsy attempt to win the ball, seemingly worthy of a yellow card. But having been booked on two previous occasions this season shortly after coming on as a substitute, the 20-year-old’s reputation appears to have gone before him in a contest that saw McClaren’s side pick up six other cautions.
