Poll: Should Francis Coquelin have been sent off during Crystal Palace vs Arsenal?

Francis Coquelin may well count himself very lucky to still be on the pitch.

The Arsenal midfielder is meant to provide Arsene Wenger’s side with a robust, tough-tackling presence but he may have taken it too far in an end-to-end opening period against Crystal Palace.

On 41 minutes the 24-year-old picked up a booking for bringing down the pacey Yannick Bolasie as Palace looked to break at the Gunners. The midfielder could have no complaints about referee Lee Mason’s decision.

And he certainly wasn’t complaining four minutes later as he narrowly avoided a second booking. Wilfried Zaha had led a Palace counterattack up to the halfway line, showing quick feet on the edge of his area to beat Olivier Giroud.

However he didn’t carry on after encountering Coquelin, who clipped the winger just as the home side were looking to get a late attack going. Mason called a free-kick but should Coquelin have received more punishment?

The Arsenal youngest would then escape further punishment shortly after the restart, before Arsene Wenger decided to take the midfielder off just after the hour mark.