LONDON – Mikel Arteta’s growing frustration with Arsenal’s discipline problems reached a critical point on Tuesday night during the Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk. After right-back Ben White received a yellow card in the first half, Arteta made the tough decision to substitute him at halftime.
“We’ve played enough with 10 men recently,” Arteta said with a wry smile, signalling a broader issue facing his team.
Arsenal has developed a worrying trend of picking up red cards, a problem that could derail their English Premier League title ambitions. The Gunners have already seen three players sent off in the opening eight matches of the season, contributing to dropped points in key games. Since Arteta took over in 2019, the team has accumulated 18 red cards in the Premier League, five more than any other side during the same period.
The team’s dismissals have had direct consequences on their results. Arsenal’s only losses or draws this season – a 1-1 home draw with Brighton, a 2-2 away draw at Manchester City, and a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth – all occurred when they were reduced to 10 men.
“We cannot keep playing with 10 men, especially at this level. It’s clear we struggle,” Arteta acknowledged. “We need to fix this issue immediately.”
The urgency of the situation is underscored by Arsenal’s upcoming clash with Liverpool on Sunday. Liverpool sits atop the Premier League table, one point ahead of second-placed Manchester City and four points clear of third-placed Arsenal. A loss for the Gunners could widen the gap to seven points, leaving little room for error in their pursuit of the title.
Arsenal’s disciplinary issues have coincided with a season seeing a surge in yellow cards across the league. According to Opta, the Premier League is averaging 5.1 yellow cards per game this season, far surpassing the previous record of 4.2 per game set last season.
Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard were both sent off for two yellow cards in games against Brighton and Manchester City, respectively, with their second cards issued for time-wasting. William Saliba received a straight red in the Bournemouth match for a last-man foul on Evanilson.
Saliba’s suspension adds to Arsenal’s mounting injury concerns ahead of the Liverpool showdown. The team will be without captain Martin Odegaard (ankle), and may also miss key players Bukayo Saka (hamstring) and Riccardo Calafiori, who suffered a knee injury during the Shakhtar match.
Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, will arrive at the Emirates in blistering form, with 11 wins from 12 games in all competitions, including a club-record six consecutive away victories.
“Arteta has done an amazing job over the last few years,” Slot said after Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Leipzig on Wednesday. “We will need to be at our best to get a result.”
With Arsenal’s discipline issues becoming a growing concern, Sunday’s match could be pivotal in their bid to stay in the title race.
Source: AP