Arsenal relies on own goal to beat 10-man Newcastle in EPL
NEWCASTLE, England (AP) Arsenal relied on Fabricio Coloccini's own goal to win 1-0 at Newcastle despite the hosts playing most of the Premier League game with 10 men on Saturday.
Aleksandar Mitrovic was dismissed in the 16th minute for a studs-up challenge on Francis Coquelin. Arsenal dominated possession the rest of the way but couldn't break through until Coloccini inadvertently deflected Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's shot into his own goal seven minutes into the second half. Arsenal has now collected seven points from four games - six of them away from home.
''We were mature and intelligent and we played a little bit cautious but at the end of the day we won the game,'' Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil missed the game with a knee injury, and Wenger started with Theo Walcott up front and Olivier Giroud on the bench. Walcott wasted the best chance of the first half, though, when he missed the net from a few yards out after Tim Krul couldn't hold on to Alexis Sanchez's shot.
Walcott was taken off for Giroud in the second half but the Frenchman was ineffective as well, and the team's inefficiency is likely to increase calls for another striker to be brought in before the end of the transfer window on Tuesday.
Newcastle remains without a league win after four games under new manager Steve McClaren, with the only success coming in the League Cup.
Mitrovic has now picked up two bookings and a sending-off in his first five appearances for Newcastle.
''It was harsh. It was more clumsy, he had his eye on the ball and kind of stood on his foot,'' McClaren said. ''All we could do after that (red card) was show spirit and fight and discipline. They were magnificent in terms of that and what a fantastic crowd.''