David Luiz proves to be unwanted antidote to consistency Mikel Arteta craves at Arsenal

The Brazilian’s red card saw the Gunners cough up a lead to leave Molineux empty-handed

Arsene Wenger did two doubles with Arsenal. Bertie Mee did one. David Luiz has done a different sort of double. Since he joined Arsenal, he has received the most Premier League red cards and has conceded the most penalties. His third sending off came after conceding a sixth spot kick in a Gunners career that has only spanned 45 top-flight games.

It ranked as the most unfortunate of each. David Luiz apologised the previous time he saw red, at Manchester City in June. Seven months on, Mikel Arteta argued he would say sorry to referee Craig Pawson and VAR Jonathan Moss, who upheld the initial decision, if they were correct to expel the Brazilian against Wolves at Molineux. His initial reaction was to appeal against the suspension.

“If the officials got it right, and can justify they got it right, I will put my hand up and apologise,” said the Arsenal manager. “I've just seen the replay ten times in five different angles and I cannot see any contact. I would like to see if VAR has different angles. I'm sitting here expecting to see something, but I've not seen anything.”

READ MORE: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta angry at David Luiz red card in defeat by Wolves

Maybe David Luiz’s reputation preceded him. Perhaps he made a name for himself in the Midlands as the man who saved Wolves’ season. Arsenal were in a position of total dominance before his dismissal; a lead became a 2-1 defeat. Some felt he was sent off for running. But, whatever Arteta thought, he did appear to clip Willian Jose, albeit accidentally, and he was not attempting to play the ball; had he been, a yellow card would have been the sanction. Perhaps his greatest error was losing Wolves’ new recruit and letting him run in behind the Arsenal defence. David Luiz had been terrific until that point, playing with authority and confidence, but he is no stranger to lapses in concentration.

Craig Pawson shows David Luiz of Arsenal a red card  (Getty)

Yet if Bernd Leno was far more culpable for his subsequent red card, David Luiz’s dismissal was the turning point. Early exits are an unfortunate habit. His three Arsenal red cards have come after 26, 25 and 45 minutes on the pitch.

There are days when he feels the personification of them: prone to pratfalls, capable of injecting the wrong sort of drama, the unwanted antidote to the sort of consistency Arteta had been imbuing. It is part of a persona, very David Luiz to be sent off even when he might not deserve to be, but to cost his side in the process.

It adds to the case that Arsenal’s most experienced centre-back is also their most unreliable one. Arteta spent January discarding ageing and erratic defenders. Goodbye, Shkodran Mustafi.

Farewell, Sokratis Papastathopoulos. So long, Saed Kolasinac. David Luiz was the exception to the rule but, with his contract expiring in the summer, a decision beckons about a player who turns 34 in April.

Eight centre-backs – and who else had eight to begin with? - may become five. David Luiz’s less gifted sidekick Rob Holding offers more solidity. His replacement – or Alexandre Lacazette’s when he had to make way – Gabriel showed his precocity in the first half of the season. Pablo Mari had been in fine form before he was injured. William Saliba cost a lot, played little and has been loaned out but, at £25 million, ought to represent some sort of future. Calum Chambers may be a back-up, but he is a versatile one.

David Luiz (2R) disputes a red card decision with referee Craig Pawson (POOL/AFP)

David Luiz’s last contract came a week after his previous dismissal. The temptation was to frame it as a curious reward when the reality of an extended season meant Arsenal had to act, one way or another. Now his punishment ought to enable Gabriel to return to the starting 11 at Aston Villa on Saturday.

He is the master of wildly contrasting fortunes within a few days. He had been man of the match against Manchester United 72 hours earlier. When he trudged off, before Ruben Neves converted the resulting penalty, Arsenal had only conceded one goal in his last 570 minutes on the pitch. He was a cornerstone of statistically the second best defence in the Premier League. Hence the conundrum of David Luiz, the sinner who may have been sinned against on this occasion. “Unbelievable,” he raged on Instagram. But, as it was David Luiz, rather believable, too.