Arsenal’s begin to the Premier League season has not been plain crusing with Mikel Arteta’s facet drawing at house to Brighton and shedding away to Bournemouth of their first eight video games.
Three purple playing cards in these opening video games recommend a disciple downside 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.
Purple card stat that implies Arsenal will not win the league
William Saliba strolling off the pitch (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
Since Pep Guardiola took over at Manchester Metropolis in 2016 no crew has received the Premier League when receiving greater than two purple playing cards throughout the season.
Arsenal have obtained three of their first eight video games alone which means they should buck this development in the event that they need to cease Manchester Metropolis from retaining their Premier League crown.
Declan Rice purple card incident (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
The 2 groups which have managed to cease Manchester Metropolis from successful the league since Guardiola’s transfer had been Chelsea in 2016-17 and Liverpool in 2019-20 who obtained zero and one purple card respectively.
Crucially during the last 4 seasons Manchester Metropolis have solely dropped factors in two video games the place they obtained a purple 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 purple playing cards. They had been additionally main towards Brighton and Manchester Metropolis earlier than purple playing cards led to 2 attracts.
What is 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.
Nonetheless, FourFourTwo would recommend this resolve will probably be examined this weekend as Arsenal host league leaders Liverpool and will probably be pressured 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 purple playing cards hamper them in a league atmosphere the place any dropped factors could be punished.
