Even a blind eye as accomplished as Arsene Wenger's could not be turned from this one. Granit Xhaka's playground trip on Modou Barrow on Saturday was conducted so close to where the Arsenal manager was standing in his technical area, you could almost see his fringe lifting in the jetstream whoosh as the Swansea winger took off and flew. Barrow had been in tormenting form, twisting the Arsenal full back Nacho Monreal this way and that like he was auditioning to replace Ed Balls on Strictly Come Dancing. Every time he got the ball, the jitters of alarm spread through the most panic-prone crowd in the country. He had just bamboozled Xhaka with the pace of his turn. And the Swiss midfielder took immediate retribution, flicking out to catch his trailing leg, sending him careering turfwards. It was the kind of foul football crowds love to see in their own team.
"Good on you," shouted the Arsenal fan closest to the press box. "Take one for the team, Granit."
And that was what it seemed: a yellow card offence. Barrow was upended on the halfway line. The intent was cynical rather than violent. He was not denied a goal-scoring opportunity: there were at least three more defenders between him and the Arsenal area. As the referee Jon Moss approached the scene of the crime, the expectation was he would take a cautionary note of Xhaka's name and no more. When he produced a red card, everyone in the Arsenal sections went into immediate apoplexy, screaming their disdain at the official, suddenly fearing his zeal would jeopardise the pursuit of three points.
Everyone, that is, except Wenger, who stood and watched his player head for the dressing room, arms folded, lips pursed.
Afterwards Wenger did not attempt mitigation. He reckoned Xhaka's offence worthy of a "dark yellow". He would not dispute why Moss thought it more serious. He would, he added, be having a word with his player.
"Intelligence means learning from such mistakes," Wenger said.
And you can understand why he took that line. At a time when Arsenal were rocking, when their lead appeared increasingly imperilled, when Swansea looked as if they might extend their lengthy jinx on his team, Wenger was obliged to watch his defensive midfielder undermine the collective endeavour through a childish act of retribution. More to the point, however, it was the kind of foul that would most infuriate the manager had it been conducted on an Arsenal player. Barrow might be raw and wholly inconsistent, but he is clearly a talent. And he was shining in North London, his pace and directness causing continuing confusion. To stop him in such a manner was anathema to Wenger's beliefs about how the game should be played.
Xhaka does not come with a reputation for foul play. He is whole hearted, certainly, but not dirty. As he sits out Arsenal's next couple of games, he will have the opportunity for reflection. The first thing he will have learned is not to commit a foul like that again in a place where even Arsene Wenger can't miss it.
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Originally Posted by Letters
