Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he felt the dismissal of David Luiz in his side’s 0-0 draw at Chelsea was justified.
Chelsea defender Luiz was red-carded three minutes from the end of the derby at Stamford Bridge for a challenge on Sead Kolasinac.
Wenger said: “It was excessive force. I think even Luiz will accept he went in too strong. It looked to me like it was excessive force.”
Wenger was pleased with his team’s battling display, particularly in light of criticism they received following a dismal performance in their recent defeat at Liverpool.
“It was a game with total intensity,” said the Frenchman.
“It was a battle all over the pitch and we responded well in the domains we were questioned. I like when the team shows that response.
“We have shown that many times, but you have to accept when you deliver the kind of performance we did against Liverpool that you will be criticised.
“You have to respond on the pitch and we did that. The response for us was even above the result (in terms of importance), and we did that. We did exactly what I expected them to.
“When you are a football player there’s only one thing that matters and that’s the next game and how you respond, and that’s what we did.”
This post was last modified on 17/09/2017