“An accident waiting to happen” is how Mikel Arteta described it, but how damaging might Arsenal’s red card issue be to the Gunners’ chances of winning the championship?
Three players have already been sent off for Arsenal in just eight games of the current Premier League season.
The most recent player to be sent out was William Saliba, who was sent off for the first time in his career during Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Bournemouth, which put an end to Arsenal’s undefeated start to the season.
It comes after Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were sent off earlier in the season, and Arsenal has lost every time they have been down to ten men.
After Saturday’s defeat, former England striker Alan Shearer was asked on Match of the Day if Arsenal had a discipline issue. He said, “It has to change.”
He went on to say: “It’s obvious that they won’t receive enough points if it doesn’t—you’ve seen the games where it’s already occurred this season, with the two draws and this loss.
“It cannot go on.”
According to Arteta, they were given a “impossible task” after Saliba was dismissed in the 30th minute, but may the Gunners’ disciplinary record also be fatal to their larger goals?
‘There are things we have discussed’
In the short term, Arsenal’s latest dismissal is a blow because Saliba will miss the home game against current Premier League leaders Liverpool on 27 October.
The Gunners are currently one point behind the Reds in the table, but should Arne Slot’s side win against Chelsea on Sunday and then beat Arsenal, they would move seven clear of Arteta’s side.
Champions Manchester City could also move clear of Arsenal – their closest rivals in the past two seasons – with victories over winless clubs Wolves and Southampton in their next two.
“Playing for 65 minutes with 10 men at this level is an impossible task. It’s an accident waiting to happen not to get the points,” said Arteta.
On his side’s disciplinary issues, the Spaniard added: “There are things that we’ve discussed in relation to certain topics. Certainly we need to play with 11 if we want to be in the position we want to be.
“I thought what we did with 10 men was quite remarkable.”
Like the red cards shown this season to Trossard against Manchester City and Rice at Brighton for delaying the restart, Saliba’s sending-off was an avoidable one, with Trossard’s awkward pass creating a situation from which his team-mate could not recover.
Midfielder Rice said he was “proud” of his team-mates for the fight they showed but rued the “naivety” which ultimately cost them.
“We’ve kicked ourselves in the foot three times in eight games,” he said.
“We can’t make silly mistakes. You need all your best players on the pitch at all times. The belief is so high and we will stick together.”
Red cards didn’t stop Wenger’s Arsenal
Players getting sent off has been an issue during Arteta’s time at Emirates Stadium.
Since he took charge on Boxing Day 2019, the Gunners have been shown 18 red cards in the Premier League, which is at least five more than any other side during that time.
It is an issue he has spoken about before. In January 2022, after three red cards in four games that month, Arteta said: “We played [the] last three games with ten men. When you do that it’s difficult to win matches.”
However, a poor disciplinary record did not hold back Arsenal when they were managed by club legend Arsene Wenger.
The Frenchman won the Premier League three times with the Gunners and on all three occasions his side picked up at least three red cards. In 2001-02 they even won the title despite six dismissals in that campaign.
A total of 78 red cards were shown in 828 Premier League games under Wenger.
