Billericay official D’Urso refused to even consider he was harsh in sending off French star Vieira against Chelsea even though a video replay showed the Gunners’ skipper had not even made contact with Gianfranco Zola when shown the first of two yellow cards at Stamford Bridge.

And when Vieira qualified for a red card with a second yellow in a clash with Jesper Gronkjaer, Chelsea’s Danish winger admitted it was his foot which made contact with Vieira and not the other way around. In D’Urso’s report to the FA, however, he said Vieira used foul and abusive language when shown the red card and now the player has been charged with misconduct which could carry a further three-match ban.

However, Arsenal boss Wenger insists he will defend Vieira to the hilt even though he admits to not even having yet asked his captain whether he swore at the referee: ‘‘I have not spoken to Patrick yet, but you can read lips on TV. I’ve looked at the replay and he doesn’t even touch Zola. And everybody has heard what Gronkjaer said about the other incident. There is no doubt we will appeal - and for two possible reasons. The first would be that he didn’t say it and the second is that it was very harsh to send him off. You can be caught driving at 80mph on the motorway, but it’s not right if every day it is just you.’’

D’Urso has booked Vieira four times in the last five matches in which both have appeared and also sent him off against Leicester City at Highbury a year ago.

Wenger said: ‘‘Only the referee can answer why he wouldn’t reconsider his decision because that is what the referee we had for our match against Birmingham did after Aliou Cisse was sent off, but it would be sad if Patrick is sent off just because he is Vieira.

‘‘I can’t imagine that a referee would go out on the field thinking ‘I will book him.’ In any case, I feel Patrick deserves to be defended on this. It would be irresponsible of the club not to do so.’’

In fact, there is no mechanism in the FA’s disciplinary mechanism for appeal against a sending off if it is the result of two yellow cards.

Vieira will be banned from Arsenal’s game against Bolton at Highbury a week on Saturday for the dismissal, but Wenger has made it clear he will ask for a personal hearing on the misconduct charge.

Nicolas Anelka returns to Highbury tonight insisting he is a better player than the one which left under a cloud three years ago: ‘‘I am a better player now. I am older and wiser. When I was at Highbury I was an out-and-out striker, a scorer of goals. But first at Real Madrid and then at Paris St Germain I learned to play behind the strikers. I have a different dimensions to my game now and I am a more complete player because of it. I am looking forward to going back to Highbury.’’

Arsenal striker Sylvain Wiltord has been named as the first Barclaycard Player of the Month of the new season. Wiltord was chosen having bagged four goals in four Barclaycard Premiership games which have helped the Gunners to second in the table.