Arsene Wenger: 'Aleksandar Mitrovic deserved his red card'

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has claimed that Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic can have no complaints over his red card at St James's Park today.

United had an uphill task from early on after Mitrovic, a £13m summer signing from Anderlecht, was given a straight red for a lunge on Francis Coquelin after 16 minutes.

The visitors went on to win 1-0 courtesy of Fabricio Coloccini's second-half own goal, and Wenger says that the Serbian forward deserved to be sent off.

"Honestly during the game, I didn't see it. But I have just seen it again on television and unfortunately it was a red card. He didn't play the ball at all," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.

"I think yes, the referee did all right, but Newcastle maybe wanted to stop us from playing, from moving the ball quickly to stop our game - they tried that from the start.

"Mitrovic went a bit overboard. It was maybe a bit unlucky as well, I don't know - did he do it on purpose or not? I don't know."

It was the North Londoners' second win from four Premier League games this season.