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Journalism of Courage
LONDON, AUGUST 22: Three players were sent off — including Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira for the second successive match — as Arsenal beat nine-man Liverpool 2-0 in a fiercely competitive but never malicious English Premier League game at Highbury.
Vieira, dismissed in the last minute of Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Saturday, was on Tuesday shown the red card again by referee Graham Poll after 73 minutes for what was adjudged to be a two-footed challenge on Liverpool’s Dietmar Hamann. But television replays showed clearly Vieira played the ball first as both he and Hamann chased it down.
Vieira had been booked for a challenge on Jamie Carragher shortly before being sent off — and did not even wait for the referee to show him the second yellow then the red card before walking.
Utterly frustrated, he took off his red and white shirt and threw it to the ground in disgust. It was the sixth time he had been ordered off in his Arsenal career — and he became the 31st Arsenal player shown a red card since Arsene Wenger became manager four years ago.
Earlier, Poll sent off Liverpool’s Gary McAllister for a clumsy challenge on Vieira after 38 minutes — and he completed his hat-trick of red cards by dismissing Hamann after 75 minutes for grappling with Robert Pires by the touchline. He had been booked in the first half for a foul on Lauren.
The referee incensed the French managers of both the clubs.
Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier could not conceal his anger afterwards. “He wrecked the game for both sides,” he said.
“I have a lot of sympathy for Patrick, it was a very harsh decision on him, maybe he is a victim of his own reputation, I don’t know. But all three sendings off were harsh. The match was not played in a nasty atmosphere with dirty tackles everywhere, it was a very good entertaining match. I don’t know what the referee thought he was doing.
Wenger added: “Patrick is very, very upset as you would imagine. I am also very upset for him. Although we won it was a very sad night for us. He is a football player, but perhaps other people are going on the field not to play football but to upset him.
“One of the reasons that Emanuel Petit left us was because of his frustration with what goes on in England. I am hopeful that Patrick will not do the same, but right now he is very very down.”
Asked about him throwing his shirt to the ground, Wenger replied: “It was not against the shirt, or the club, but the situation. I sympathise with him.”
The incidents overshadowed an otherwise entertaining match which saw Arsenal beat Liverpool for the first time in 12 attempts since March 1994.
Arsenal looked impressive and were well worth their first win of the season. The opening goal came from Lauren, their seven million pounds ($10.44 million) close-season signing from Real Mallorca. He marked his first start for the Gunners with a goal after just eight minutes — blasting in from six metres after Liverpool failed to clear from a corner.
Thierry Henry added the second in the 89th minute, curling in a right-footed shot after Sander Wasterveld had saved his first effort.
Although there were chances at both ends, Arsenal dominated for long periods, with Lauren and Pires playing well on their home debuts.
Liverpool, like Arsenal, tipped as a potential title challenger, started well, but gradually faded.
Houllier said: “After 38 minutes and 1-0 down to Arsenal at Highbury with 10 men, the game was over — we had no chance. We could have played better — but this is a night to forget.”
