Arsenal’s begin to the Premier League season has not been plain crusing with Mikel Arteta’s facet drawing at residence to Brighton and shedding away to Bournemouth of their first eight video games.
Three crimson playing cards in these opening video games counsel a disciple drawback that has undoubtedly contributed to a bumpy begin that leaves them 4 factors off the highest of the desk already.
Accidents have additionally hampered Arsenal with Martin Odegaard lacking their final 5 league matches, whereas Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu have all missed matches on account of accidents.
Pink card stat that implies Arsenal will not win the league
Since Pep Guardiola took over at Manchester Metropolis in 2016 no group has gained the Premier League when receiving greater than two crimson playing cards throughout the season.
Arsenal have obtained three of their first eight video games alone that means they should buck this pattern in the event that they need to cease Manchester Metropolis from retaining their Premier League crown.
The 2 groups which have managed to cease Manchester Metropolis from successful the league since Guardiola’s transfer have been Chelsea in 2016-17 and Liverpool in 2019-20 who obtained zero and one crimson card respectively.
Crucially during the last 4 seasons Manchester Metropolis have solely dropped factors in two video games the place they obtained a crimson card – one in every of which was a Joao Cancelo sending-off within the second to final recreation of the 2020-21 season when Metropolis had already sealed the title.
In distinction, Arsenal’s dropped factors this season have all are available in video games once they obtained crimson playing cards. They have been additionally main towards Brighton and Manchester Metropolis earlier than crimson playing cards led to 2 attracts.
What’s going to give Arsenal some hope is that they’re but to overlook these gamers who’ve been despatched off, successful towards Tottenham and Leicester regardless of suspensions to Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard respectively.
Nevertheless, FourFourTwo would counsel this resolve can be examined this weekend as Arsenal host league leaders Liverpool and can be compelled to play with out William Saliba following his sending-off towards Bournemouth.
With damage points affecting Arsenal greater than they’ve in earlier seasons, Mikel Arteta will certainly look to implement a disciplinary tightrope on his Arsenal facet earlier than additional crimson playing cards hamper them in a league surroundings the place any dropped factors may be punished.