NUFC 0-1 Arsenal: Toon Doomed By Mitro Red

The game in one sentence: Ten-man Newcastle fought hard after Aleksander Mitrović was sent off early, but an unlucky bounce off Fabricio Coloccini's boot gave the Gunners the win.

The lineup: Krul; Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Haïdara; Anita (Pérez 72), Colback; Sissoko (Cissé 78), Wijnaldum, Thauvin (de Jong 87); Mitrović

What went right: Just like last week, the effort was definitely there, especially after the controversial/borderline red card to the big Serbian striker. Perhaps more surprisingly, Newcastle occasionally looked somewhat dangerous in the second half, though Arsenal thoroughly dominated the possession. Gini Wijnaldum put together an especially sharp and composed performance as a #10 and left-sided midfielder, and all four members of the much-maligned back line were pretty solid.

What went wrong: As the saying goes, "one's an example, two's a coincidence, three's a trend." With three cards, including today's straight red, in his first four Premier League matches, is it time to be concerned about the rashness of Mitrović? Sure, many NUFC supporters will disagree about how deserved the sending-off was. But like Cheick Tioté in prior years, the new man has clearly gotten a reputation among the officials. Maybe the coming three-match suspension will be the wake-up call he needs.

The verdict: If nothing else, today's match gave the back four plenty of practice, with Arsenal swallowing up three-quarters of the possession and directing 22 shots at Tim Krul's net. The players who stayed on after the early red deserved their post-match ovation from the crowd at St. James' Park for their effort and tenacity. (How often has a Newcastle team been described in those terms over the past couple seasons?) 

Next time out: Monday, September 14 (3:00 pm Eastern, NBCSN) against West Ham at Upton Park.