Arteta Admits Arsenal Discipline Issues After Saliba Red Card as Title Hopes Face Threat
Mikel Arteta has acknowledged Arsenal’s growing discipline issue, which he fears could derail their Premier League title challenge.
Since taking charge in December 2019, Arsenal has received 18 red cards in league matches, the highest in the division during that period.
This season alone, they have already seen three red cards in eight games, contributing to their first loss of the campaign against Bournemouth, where William Saliba’s dismissal played a significant role.
Arteta admitted that Arsenal’s tendency to go down to 10 men is a major problem that needs immediate attention. He explained that while the causes of each red card incident differ, the outcome remains the same: playing with a numerical disadvantage severely hampers the team’s chances of winning.
Arsenal has dropped points in every game this season where a player was sent off, in stark contrast to their 100% win rate when finishing with 11 players.
Arteta expressed frustration over the recurring discipline issues, noting that while the team has discussed the problem and tried to correct it, the red cards keep coming.
He suggested that continuing to talk about it may inadvertently exacerbate the problem and proposed that the best approach might be to change tactics in addressing the issue.
On the matter of Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth, Arteta confirmed that Arsenal is unlikely to appeal the decision.
Saliba will miss the upcoming Premier League match against Liverpool but will be available for the midweek Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Meanwhile, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber are doubtful for the Shakhtar game, with Saka absent from training.
Arteta’s comments underline the urgency of solving Arsenal’s discipline problems as they seek to maintain their strong start to the season amid fierce competition for the title.
Arteta Admits Arsenal Discipline Issues After Saliba Red Card as Title Hopes Face Threat
