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ARSENE Wenger left Highbury yesterday clutching the match-tape. Although not a video nasty, it contains scenes that must concern Arsenal's thoughtful manager. Three players were booked and one dismissed during the clash with Villa and the stalemate ensured Arsenal stayed behind Manchester United.

The Gunners' bouts of indiscipline may yet keep them there. Wenger said he would watch the video from the start but his finger will be twitching over the fast-forward button.

Eighty three minutes into an absorbing if error-strewn Premiership match. Emmanuel Petit was sent off by referee Paul Durkin for laying his hands on the Portland official.

Even before viewing the tape, a clearly upset Wenger said Arsenal would appeal. It was a curious incident. one rooted in Arsenal's patent frustration at their inability to overcome such obdurate opponents, for whom Simon Grayson and Riccardo Scimeca were outstanding.

Arsenal's displeasure boiled over when they thought Ugo Ehiogu had handled in the box. Durkin waved play on and the ball went dead only when Steve Bould flattened Dwight Yorke.

In the first half, Julian Joachim and Yorke knocked Bould over in their determination. Such was the visitors' workrate, the mood embodied by the spine of Scimeca, Grayson and Joachim, that Arsenal's threat stemmed mainly from set-pieces.

From one of Petit's expert corners, a stooping Patrick Vieira thought he had scored but Durkin rightly observed a hand. Petit chose the opportunity to air his views and as Durkin ran towards him, the Frenchman put up two hands. To some, it appeared more ref to hand than hand to ref but attempts to touch an official is a straightforward dismissal, although some other referees might have shown more leniency.

After 20 minutes, Arsenal pieced together their one real fluid move of the half. Nigel Winterburn executed a lenghty one-two with Luis Boa Morte before crossing from the left. The ball arrowed towards lan Wright, whose forceful volley cannoned into Scimeca.

"Emmanuel is very down," Wenger said. "He knows he will miss three important games. He didn't rush to the referee and push him. He just wanted to tell the referee that maybe it was a hand by Ehiogu. I think we will appeal."

Arsenal then returned to their dead-ball routines. Another Petit corner brought a misdirected header from Vieira, who then crashed a volley onto the bar.

Wenger is becoming well versed in defending his players, who have accumulated 34 yellow and two red cards this season. It is a particular frustration to Arsenal's many legions of admirers, who have warmed to the classy footbal so often on show at Highbury.

Yesterday, with Bergkamp perhaps distracted by his own pending suspension, Arsenal were disappointing. They had to work hard to match the commitment of a Villa side missing Collymore, Milosevic, and Staunton.

Arsenal were attacking a Clock End containing Paul Gascoigne. sitting in the Subbuteo box. This was a treat for his son rather than any suggestion that he might have been watching Villa.

"I've just signed a new contract with Rangers and things are going well there now," he said.

He will have admired the effort put in by Villa. who appeared stronger at defending open-play moves rather than set-pieces.