By Boris Mellor
December 3 2004

Arsenal fans have wondered for a while what would happen if we got red carded. Well we can stop wondering as yesterday's double reds gave some of the press a field day. Also, rather strangely the press argued PSV held Arsenal to a draw and not the other way around.

Neither foul that earned a second yellow was that bad on its own, indeed Vieira was unlucky - even Sky Sports said that.

But some reports couldn't help dragging up the record since 49BC. One web report even attributed Paddy with 56 reds!!! Never mind that we won the fair play award last season, or that Paddy has not been sent off in Europe before.

"How stupid can you get" (Mirror) probably applies to Lauren, but Paddy was just trying to keep the game tight when down to ten men, but here is example of Shite from Henry Winter in Torygraph

" But then further calamity engulfed Arsenal when Vieira departed for a second yellow, a late challenge on Park Ji-Sung. "

How can it be a late challenge when Paddy got the ball? What match were you watching Henry Winter? Now if Sky would play it again in slow motion, like they do when Arsenal foul a player, I think it would show Vieira got the ball without touching the player.

 Red Mist descended according to some, but the biggest joke was that somehow this was a poor performance eg Richard Williams in the Grauniad. However his mate on the back felt differently and gave credit where it was due.

But the biggest Joke was that PSV held Arsenal to a draw - when in fact we had more attacking play than they did. Surely the onus was on PSV to beat nine men, and they couldn't. Well done Arsenal and balls to the press. Nine men held PSV to a draw.

But the biggest gaffe of the night was Hiddink who said that Arsenal couldn't lose with good grace - ha ha ha - must wipe my eyes on that one. You got a draw Hiddink, and 1 point out of six, we took 4 of you. So it wasn't sour grapes it just that your technique of body checking and blocks connned the ref   into not giving you cards for your dirty tactics. Without which you would have sunk without trace.

REPORT FOLLOWS

PSV could not beat nine man Arsenal in Holland tonight. Indeed when Arsenal were down to ten men PSV had to hang on and were lucky not to concede another goal.

Commentators boast that PSV had not conceded at home for Nine games, but they have not come across a player as good as Henry before. This was a big performance by Henry, when Arsenal went I-0 down he responded immediately and stepped up a gear. He got little support from Pires or Reyes, but he was imperious, and at 30 minutes created the build up for his own equalizer. Winning the ball on the wing he beat defenders, passed to Ljunberg and Freddies return pass was immaculate, but the shot was even better. Henry just needed one touch, that touch put the ball in the back of the net at high speed.

In my preview I had said that attack would be more important than defence as Arsenal always concede. In the first half that was true, as Arsenal gave away the mandatory free header from a corner after eight minutes. But there are always goals in this team and they responded well. Even after Lauren’s sending off (he should apologise to the whole team for his idiotic behaviour and give his wages to charity) at 1-1 we looked the team looked the most likely to score, but with 15 minutes of actual time left Vieira was sent off. His sending off was ridiculous, if Van Bommel had been given equal treatment he would have been sent off far earlier. Paddy got the ball but took the man, but it was hardly dirty or intentional, a previous yellow meant he was sent off.

Now it was the defence that mattered, I can’t say I was optimistic and we might have had a little luck but we defended as a team for the first time all season, and you know, it worked, even at corners.

We can expect a lot of shite in the press for the next few days, but they can stick it, our fate is in our own hands, we can qualify at home. Besides it was a great performance, we were the better team, but PSV celebrated their failure to beat nine men thanks to Rosenborg’s heroic draw against Panathinaikos.

The cost in injuries was severe, with Reyes and Van Persie off injured, Henry aggravated his Achilles tendon again. But Henry was well pleased with the result – it showed commitment and Arsenal are second in the group.