New data reveals Arsenal have been getting away with more than their title rivals despite their poor disciplinary record this season.
The Gunners have picked up a league-leading three red cards from just eight games.
In fact, since Arteta’s first game in charge on Boxing Day in 2019, Arsenal have received 18 red cards, five more than Wolves who have copped the second-most.
However, all three of the Gunners’ red cards this season have had elements of controversy.
The latest was William Saliba, who was initially shown a yellow card after he brought down Bournemouth’s Evanilson just beyond the halfway line.
But VAR upgraded the yellow card to a red and Arsenal ultimately slipped to a 2-0 defeat, meaning they’d dropped points in every game they’d gone down to ten men.
“We cannot continue to play with ten men, especially at this level and you see all the struggles teams have to win football matches,” Arteta said on Monday.
“We need to eradicate that, it’s clear.”
Despite Saliba seeing red for a foul in which he was deemed the last man, Chelsea‘s Tosin Adarabioyo only received a yellow for a strikingly similar incident during the Blues’ 2-1 loss to Liverpool on Sunday.
Gunners fans vented their fury on social media upon seeing Adarabioyo’s foul, with many asking why the Chelsea ace was allowed to stay on when Saliba got sent off.
Some even suggested there was a conspiracy against the Gunners as PGMOL boss Howard Webb was captured listening in to the communication between officials that led to Saliba’s red card.
However, data from Opta gathered by talkSPORT BET disproves any such notion of a conspiracy.
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If anything, referees have been far more lenient to the Gunners compared to their Premier League rivals.
Opta data, gathered by talkSPORT BET, shows Arsenal pick up a booking every 5.39 fouls, which is the highest figure in the league.
Arteta’s side have committed 97 fouls this season, with only West Ham, Wolves and Bournemouth conceding more.
Liverpool have the second-highest average, making 5.28 fouls per booking.
Tottenham and Manchester United are third and fourth with averages of 4.95 and 3.42 respectively.
The data shows referees clamp down on Chelsea and Manchester City the most.
Chelsea pick up a booking every 2.93 fouls while the defending champions average one every 2.83 fouls.
Enzo Maresca’s side also lead the league for the most yellow cards with 30, four more than Manchester United, Southampton and Wolves.
Fouls committed per yellow card for the ‘Big Six’
- Arsenal (5.39 fouls per yellow card)
- Liverpool (5.28)
- Tottenham (4.95)
- Manchester United (3.42)
- Chelsea (2.93)
- Manchester City (2.83)
Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana are responsible for ten of those having picked up five yellow cards each.
At the other end of the fouling spectrum sits Brentford, who have conceded a league-lowest 46 fouls this season.
Manchester City have given away the second-fewest with 51, although this could be attributed to the fact they have the league’s highest average possession count of 65.3 percent.
Ryon Scott-Douglas, spokesperson for talkSPORT BET, said: “A lot has been made of referees’ treatment of Arsenal this season, but it seems the officials are taking their side this season, whilst their title rivals see themselves punished more than any other team in the league.”
