Embattled Arsenal can put their paranoia to good use

Transfer deadline day proved to be a good one for Uefa to bury bad news, as the European football body announced yesterday afternoon that Arsenal's Croatian striker Eduardo would receive a two-match ban for diving during the Champions League play-off at the Emirates last Wednesday.

Arsenal were leading Celtic 2-0 on aggregate at the time of Eduardo's perceived offence, which won a penalty that the player subsequently converted. The Gunners went on to win the London leg 3-1.

The Scottish club and their FA kicked up a storm of protest after the incident, and Uefa felt bound to act quickly. They charged Eduardo last Friday, and handed down their judgment yesterday, to the disgust of Arsene Wenger.

Wenger rightly pointed out that because Uefa had used video evidence to enforce one specific example, they were now faced with a nightmare if they were to act consistently:  they would have to view the video evidence for every questionable decision made in Europe this season. "Now the existing rules of football have been changed just for one case so we will from now on challenge every single decision that is made in Europe by the referees," the voluble Frenchman claimed.

The club reacted to yesterday's punishment - which applies to the Champions League matches on September 16 and 29 - with a statement that left an appeal open: "We have been informed that we will receive a 'reasoned decision' from Uefa by Thursday. Once we receive Uefa's rationale, we will make a decision on the next steps. We have been deeply frustrated by the perfunctory and apparently arbitrary process that Uefa has followed in this instance."

The 'Eduardo effect' has already made itself felt, with the Croat and other Arsenal teammates noticeably reticent in the tackle during the club's Saturday evening Premier League tie. The fiery clash at Old Trafford with the champions Manchester United saw three goals (a glorious strike from Andrei Arshavin, a Wayne Rooney penalty and an Abou Diaby own goal), nine yellow cards and Wenger banished from the dug-out in the final minutes of the game.

While the result may have gone the way of the home team, many observers felt that Wenger's exciting youngsters could take more satisfaction from the clash, having passed and ran Sir Alex Ferguson's one-dimensional side out of the match for much of the first hour. "Ferguson got away with murder on Saturday," former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino said. "Arsenal gave United a footballing lesson but were undone by a huge blunder from Diaby."

The sometimes justifiably paranoid Wenger will hope that his young Gunners develop resilience from the injustices stacking up against them and use it to fire themselves a trophy this season for the first time since 2005. ·