Arsenal appeals Laurent Koscielny dismissal
Arsenal will appeal against the red card handed out to Laurent Koscielny in the Gunners 0-1 defeat to Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday 7 November.
The centre back was penalised in injury time for pulling back Newcastle’s Nile Ranger, and the Football Association will hear the appeal on Tuesday 9 November.
The FA issued a statement confirming Arsenal's appeal that said: "Arsenal have submitted a claim of wrongful dismissal, after the dismissal of Koscielny for the denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is adamant that his player should not have been sent off and that the decision was harsh.
Koscielny’s challenge on Ranger took place 35 yards away from goal near the left touchline and Wenger feels that Sebastien Squillachi would have stopped the Newcastle forward's run.
"If you look carefully at the situation Squillaci is completely covering Koscielny. It was not only harsh but not right," said Wenger after the Premier League match.
Wenger believes that his central defender should now be cleared to play in Arsenal's next match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday 10 November as Koscielny was not the last man back.
"It has to be a clear goal-scoring opportunity and for the player to be the last man. It was neither. It is completely harsh," added the French manager.
Koscielny joined the club in the summer after leaving French side Lorient, and he has already been sent off since arriving at the club.
The defender picked up a red card against Liverpool on the opening day of the season.
Arsenal will be optimistic that their appeal will be successful after West Brom won their appeal when Pablo Ibanez was dismissed for a similar offence in their 2-1 defeat to Blackpool in the Premier League.
Wenger will be eager for Koscielny to be available for a tricky fixture away to Wolves.
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