Arsenal are coming below hearth for his or her disciplinary document below Mikel Arteta – however they only must maintain their heads.
No facet has been proven extra Premier League crimson playing cards than Arsenal since Mikel Arteta took over.
Arteta has obtained his staff to boiling level on the pitch, battling to win the final three Premier League titles. When you find yourself at fever pitch, you have to be aggressive, however you need to be streetwise too. That may be a wonderful stability you could typically get fallacious.
Throughout my enjoying days at Arsenal, we used to speak of an imaginary line that we knew we couldn’t go under. We had six gamers despatched off within the league below Arsene Wenger in 2001-02, and I used to be considered one of them, however we nonetheless turned champions.
At the beginning of his reign, plenty of Arsenal’s crimson playing cards had been to gamers Arteta inherited. Three for David Luiz, two for Granit Xhaka and others to Nicolas Pepe, Bernd Leno and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Arteta has constructed his personal facet now however the 5 crimson playing cards they’ve been proven this season is presently essentially the most of any facet and it has been expensive.
No facet has been proven extra crimson playing cards than Arsenal within the Premier League since Mikel Arteta’s appointment
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s dismissial towards West Ham on Saturday was the Gunners’ fifth of the season
Arsenal had been on target to beat Brighton within the third recreation of the season however had Declan Rice despatched off and drew.
They had been beating Man Metropolis however needed to play on the Etihad with 10 males for 45 minutes after Leandro Trossard’s crimson card and it price them two factors.
Arsenal went to Bournemouth in Gameweek 8, had William Saliba despatched off and misplaced.
You’ll be able to argue they’ve been unluckily punished by refereeing choices when there was an early initiative within the season to clamp down on time-wasting however since then, Arteta’s Arsenal have develop into much more managed and have positively cleaned up their act.
They then went 15 league video games with out one other crimson card till Myles Lewis-Skelly obtained despatched off towards Wolves in January which was subsequently rescinded.
Following his sending off this weekend towards West Ham, it’s much more essential they now don’t let their frustrations bubble over on the pitch if they aren’t attaining the outcomes they want.
Arteta has constructed a staff that has put Arsenal again within the struggle for the title within the final three season. They can’t afford to lose that struggle and combative need to achieve success.
They simply want to ensure they don’t fall under that imaginary line.
The Gunners have been made to rue their ailing self-discipline as they’ve dropped factors in all however one of many video games they’ve gone down to 10 males

Keown’s verdict on Arsenal’s 20 PL crimson playing cards below Arteta
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang v Crystal Palace Jan 2020
This can be a leg breaker. I don’t assume Aubameyang has a nasty bone in his physique however his foot comes down on to Max Meyer’s ankle and the Arsenal captain, who’d already put the Gunners forward, may don’t have any complaints. It was only a typical incident of a striker getting it fallacious.
Verdict: Crimson card
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang obtained the primary crimson card of the Mikel Arteta period in January 2020
David Luiz v Chelsea Jan 2020
One other participant that Arteta inherited and the primary of three Premier League crimson playing cards for David Luiz, all of them doing the same factor. The defender was caught the fallacious facet of Tammy Abraham and hauls him down after he rounds the keeper. Straightforward choice.
Verdict: Crimson card
David Luiz collected three crimson playing cards below Arteta, with the primary coming in January 2020
David Luiz v Man Metropolis Jun 2020
Unai Emery had labored with Luiz at Paris Saint-Germain and was satisfied he may get the most effective out of him however we by no means noticed the Luiz they obtained at Chelsea. Similar from Luiz once more right here as Riyad Mahrez will get the fallacious facet of him and he pulls him again contained in the field. No complaints.
Verdict: Crimson card
Eddie Nketiah v Leicester Jul 2020
I believe Nketiah is unfortunate right here. He’s dedicated to the problem and raises his leg nevertheless it’s physique contact that he makes as a substitute with Leicester defender James Justin. They simply run into one another, in my view.
Verdict: Not a crimson card
Eddie Nketiah was a tad unlucky to be dismissed for a foul on Leicester defender James Justin
Nicolas Pepe v Leeds Nov 2020
Pepe is naïve. He will get sucked in by way of frustration and places his head towards Leeds defender Ezgjan Alioski’s. I don’t assume there’s a violent motion however as quickly as you progress your head ahead, you’re asking for hassle. Alioski makes a meal of it however you simply can’t do this.
Verdict: Crimson card
Nicolas Pepe obtained sucked in by way of frustration and put his head towards Leeds defender Ezgjan Alioski
Granit Xhaka v Burnley Dec 2020
Like Pepe, Xhaka will get sucked in. He makes a deal with on Ashley Westwood which can have prevented a card however then will get concerned unnecessarily by placing his hand on his neck. Nevertheless, Xhaka lets go instantly and Westwood falls to the bottom. A doable yellow turns into a harsh crimson.
Verdict: Not a crimson
Granit Xhaka was proven a crimson card after unnecessarily by placing his hand on Ashley Westwood’s neck
Gabriel v Southampton Dec 2020
Gabriel will get too tight to Theo Walcott on the midway line, will get turned and pulls him down. Once you’re already on a yellow card, you’ll be able to don’t have any complaints. This was the early days of Gabriel, when he tried to win issues too typically. It was a part of his studying course of.
Verdict: Crimson card
Gabriel may don’t have any complaints after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Theo Walcott
David Luiz v Wolves Feb 2021
Precisely the identical from Luiz. He’s the fallacious facet of his man… once more, makes no try and play the ball…once more, and he will get despatched off…once more.
Verdict: Crimson card
David Luiz was made to pay for a repeat of his error the earlier yr and was dismissed towards Wolves
Bernd Leno v Wolves Feb 2021
A second of insanity. He comes flying out the field and inexplicably punches the ball out of play. Having already had a participant despatched off, it makes it much more unbelievable.
Verdict: Crimson card
Bernd Leno flew out the field and inexplicably punches the ball out of play, giving the referee little selection however to scale back the Gunners’ numbers to 9
Granit Xhaka v Man Metropolis Aug 2021
Xhaka goes to floor and his foot is excessive and I don’t assume he can have any complaints about that. He left his Arsenal facet on the mercy of a rampant Man Metropolis facet in a interval of his profession when he was being too bodily.
Verdict: Crimson card
Granit Xhaka eft his Arsenal facet on the mercy of a rampant Manchester Metropolis in August 2021
Gabriel v Man Metropolis Jan 2022
That is one other instance of the Gabriel’s early Arsenal profession. He expenses in direction of Gabriel Jesus on the midway line and, like his earlier crimson card, will get turned once more for a particular second yellow. That is an space he’s improved massively and he’s not been despatched off since.
Verdict: Crimson card
Gabriel’s sending off towards Metropolis the next January was one other instance of his early Arsenal profession
Gabriel Martinelli v Wolves Feb 2022
Martinelli will get despatched off for 2 yellows in fast succession for incidents in the identical passage of play. He first pushes Daniel Podence as he’s making an attempt to take a throw-in after which fouls Chiquinho moments later and Michael Oliver books him for each. I can’t consider many instances now we have seen that since. This can be a child that wouldn’t say boo to a goose. The referee simply misplaced persistence and management.
Verdict: Not a crimson
Gabriel Martinelli was despatched off for 2 yellows in fast succession for incidents in the identical passage of play
Rob Holding v Tottenham Could 2022
Heung-min Son obtained into Holding’s head that day. He gave away a penalty early on for a foul on the Spurs ahead after which tries to be too bodily with him in a while and Son goes down below the problem when Holding had already been booked.
Verdict: Crimson card
Rob Holding gave away a penalty earlier than he was dismissed on a depressing afternoon for the defender
Takehiro Tomiyasu v Crystal Palace Aug 2023
The primary yellow card is ridiculous. One other instance of an Arsenal participant on the tip of referees clamping down on time-wasting early within the season. Tomiyasu is barely in search of a team-mate to obtain the throw however the crowd is baying for blood and the referee books him. Then sadly will get a second yellow for a lightweight contact on Jordan Ayew. The referee may have proven him some leniency however didn’t.
Verdict: Not a crimson card
The primary yellow card Takehiro Tomiyasu obtained towards Crystal Palace was ridiculous
Fabio Vieira v Burnley Nov 2023
Vieira catches Josh Brownhill on the knee with a excessive foot. He’s responsible as charged and may don’t have any complaints. It’s a crimson card. Vieira solely makes three substitute appearances for Arsenal after this.
Verdict: Crimson card
Fabio Vieira caught Burnley’s Josh Brownhill on the knee with a excessive foot and will don’t have any complaints
Declan Rice v Brighton Aug 2024
That is actually harsh. That is the place referees want to point out soccer understanding. Joel Veltman rolls the ball in direction of Rice because the Arsenal midfielder is trying to stroll away after which kicks it into his again, from nowhere close to the place the foul happened. As Rice seems over his shoulder, he stands out a foot however the free-kick wasn’t taken from the place the foul was dedicated.
Verdict: No crimson card
Declan Rice obtained the primary crimson card of the season for the Gunners in a 1-1 draw with Brighton in August
Leandro Trossard v Man Metropolis Sep 2024
This was costly. Trossard will get booked for just a little pull again on Savinho, for which he can don’t have any complaints, after which will get despatched off for kicking the ball away on the stroke of half-time. It appeared harsh, particularly when it was the seventh minute of stoppage time and the referee may have introduced proceedings to a near maintain 22 gamers on the pitch however you merely can’t give officers the possibility to ship you off.
Verdict: Crimson card
Leandro Trossard obtained booked for just a little pull again on Savinho and was then despatched off for kicking the ball away
William Saliba v Bournemouth Oct 2024
I really feel sympathy for Saliba as a result of all of it occurred instantly. A again move from Trossard and he sticks an impulsive arm out. It’s only a spontaneous response with so little time to assume. Regardless that Evanilson is kind of a approach out, he’d have been by way of. I believed he might need obtained away with it, however he didn’t.
Verdict: Crimson card
William Saliba was penalised for bringing down Bournemouth striker Evanlison after Trossard’s wayward move
Myles Lewis-Skelly v Wolves Jan 2025
Arsenal went 15 league video games and not using a crimson card for the reason that early-season frenzy that reveals Arteta’s gamers had been working laborious on it however reared its head once more when Michael Oliver confirmed Lewis-Skelly a crimson card for his foul on Matt Doherty. It sparked a nationwide debate nevertheless it was clearly by no means a crimson card as he didn’t endanger his opponent and that was proved when the choice obtained overturned on enchantment.
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s crimson card towards Wolves was rescinded following an enchantment from the membership
The younger defender may don’t have any complaints for the crimson card he obtained towards the Hammers
Verdict: Not a crimson card
Myles Lewis-Skelly v West Ham Feb 2025
I don’t assume the younger man can complain this time. Mohammed Kudus was West Ham’s excellent participant and did nicely to attract the foul. It was a deliberate motion by Lewis-Skelly. You could possibly argue that David Raya, who confirmed how fast he was later within the recreation, was so excessive up the pitch he may have challenged Kudus for the ball however within the second, with Kudus’s tempo, I believed he can be fortunate to remain on the pitch.
Verdict: Crimson card




















