Joey Barton caught in Arsenal's red-card drama

Newcastle United 0 Arsenal 0: Debutant Gervinho sent off for slapping controversial Newcastle midfielder as Gunners struggle to find breakthrough in absence of Fabregas

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger saw his new signing Gervinho sent off at St James' Park (GETTY IMAGES)

If this was the start of a new era for Arsenal after eight years of Cesc Fabregas, it could hardly have begun in more downbeat fashion. They dominated much of yesterday evening's game without finding the touch of fantasy that Fabregas or Samir Nasri, both of whom were absent and expected to depart this weekend, might have provided. The only excitement occurred when Gervinho was sent off on his debut for slapping Joey Barton, who was still upset at having been stamped on by Alex Song.

There could hardly have been a greater contrast to last season's epic 4-4 draw, when Newcastle's recovery from four goals down had been sparked by the dismissal of Abou Diaby. This time both defences were firmly in control, which was a little ironic as Arsène Wenger has promised that he will be signing another centre-half. The visiting supporters who chanted "spend some (expletive deleted) money" would doubtless like a creative midfielder every bit as much. Meanwhile, Arsenal last night dismissed a report that their manager is preparing for his final season at the club he joined in 1996. What he has to prepare for is a testing schedule involving a Champions' League play-off against Udinese, plus League games with Liverpool and Manchester United.

Wenger tried to claim that neither the referee nor the assistant had seen the sending-off incident and that if his new striker received a red card, Barton should have had one for grabbing him. He was more justified in suggesting that the ever controversial Newcastle player overreacted, but the fact was that both Arsenal players had committed red card offences and Song was lucky to have stayed on the pitch.

Barton's presence there was hardly expected a week ago, when he was transfer listed, but he has now been forgiven for his twitterings. He will need, however, to improve on his crossing in particular. Alan Pardew admitted that Newcastle's passing and set pieces let them down, and Barton was one of the main offenders.

Picking a man of the match was one of the day's trickier tasks with defenders the only contenders and each manager was delighted with his pair of centre-halves. Arsenal, with Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny, certainly did not look like a team that conceded more than half their goals last season from set-plays and Pardew felt Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini were "magnificent". Early-season rustiness could hardly excuse the lack of invention elsewhere and it was a thankless day to be a striker. Gervinho and the busy Tomas Rosicky did their best to support Arsenal's new captain Robin van Persie but Newcastle's forwards Shola Ameobi and Demba Ba received so little service that by half-time Pardew dispensed with Ba in the largely forlorn hope that Gabriel Obertan as a substitute would offer something different.

Pardew appears to have morphed into Wenger with his white hair and predilection for signing francophone players. Two of them, Yohan Cabaye and Ba, were given a debut. Cabaye showed some touches, but never had control of midfield, from where Arsenal built up smoothly but without any great menace. Theo Walcott was only a substitute and when he struck a shot at Tim Krul shortly after coming on just past the hour, it required the only real save of the game from either goalkeeper. In the first half, Krul himself had given Newcastle their only moment of concern, failing to grasp a Rosicky corner from the left that Danny Simpson had to clear off the line.

As the second half wore on the home majority in a crowd of just under 47,000 were finally aroused by unsavoury incidents. Song clearly stamped on Barton, who was still steaming a few minutes later when Gervinho took a tumble after dragging his leg into Cheik Tioté's and claiming a penalty. Barton pulled him to his feet and was slapped, which the referee Peter Walton rightly punished with a red card. The ensuing fracas involved a dozen or more players, including the Arsenal goalkeeperWojciech Szczesny, who became one of five Arsenal players booked, to Newcastle's three.

The poverty of the football was summed up by two Arsenal breaks in added time: breaking with three men against two, they wasted the opportunity by Walcott running the ball out of play and then Van Persie shot feebly wide from one of the few chances all evening. At least the sending off gave the managers something to talk about. "Gervinho dived and then slapped Joey round the head and you can't do that," Pardew said. "He hasn't been hit hard enough to lie down for two minutes," Wenger said of the Newcastle man; which was true but missed the essential point.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Krul; Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, R Taylor; Barton, Tioté, Cabaye (Lovenkrands, 81), Gutierrez; Shola Ameobi (Best, 73), Ba (Obertan, h-t).

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Song, Ramsey; Gervinho, Rosicky (Frimpong, 85), Arshavin (Walcott, 61); Van Persie.

Referee Peter Walton.

Man of the match Vermaelen (Arsenal).

Match rating 5/10.

Gunner's gone: Nasri departs as Wenger signs another teenager

Samir Nasri is set to follow Cesc Fabregas out of Arsenal and sign for Manchester City tomorrow in a deal that could be worth up to £23 million. Nasri, who was left out of the Arsenal squad that travelled to Newcastle yesterday, will join City on a five-year deal worth £165,000-a-week. The 24-year-old will undergo a medical at the Etihad Stadium today and could even be unveiled in front of City fans tonight.

Arsène Wenger is expected to be able to reinvest the majority of the £56m and yesterday agreed to sign the 19-year-old Costa Rican striker Joel Campbell from Deportivo Saprissa. Wenger desperately needs to sign a centre-half with Bolton's Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka of Everton and Birmingham's Scott Dann all possibilities.

However, Wenger insists he has pulled out of a move for the £20m-rated Valencia winger Juan Meta, while a deal for Jadson, the Brazilian midfielder from Shakhtar Donetsk who is valued at £12m, is also far from complete.

Paul Short