After what was a disappointing performance from the entire Arsenal team against Dinamo Zagreb, Arsene Wenger highlighted Olivier Giroud’s sending off and whether he believes the red card was deserved.

Like many Arsenal fans on Twitter, the boss agreed that the first yellow was deserved, but the second wasn’t. In fact, he reckons the striker was ‘unlucky’ to get the man in the challenge.

“The first yellow card was Giroud’s fault because he protested, even if there was no foul against him,” said Wenger. “After that he should have not protested to the referee. His second yellow card was completely unlucky to touch the guy. I do not understand the referee.

“I don’t think he saw the guy. It was completely accidental. It happened and I think at that moment it was not a second yellow. It has to be a foul on purpose and it was not on purpose. The referee should have given several yellows tonight based on that.”

By now, we all know Wenger will usually defend his players in most circumstances. If he does tell his squad off, it’s not in front of the world’s press, it’s in private. I find it unlikely that, whether the boss truly believes he should have stayed on the pitch or not, he won’t have a quiet word with Giroud about his temperament and reading of the game, as it was clear the referee had it in for the 28-year-old after the first yellow.

If this was an isolated incident, I would be 100% behind Giroud, but it isn’t and he needs to learn that, although bias among the refs isn’t fair, it happens, and it can make or break the result of the match.

Perhaps someone should have told the Frenchman to simmer down but at the end of the day, he’s a grown man and a supposed to be a professional.