This season, the mixed and inconsistent performance of Arsenal has hindered their quest for the Premier League Title.
Mikel Arteta’s almost secured the league title in the last two seasons but, the same inconsistency of maintaining the lead cost them the title.
Arsenal played against AFC Bournemouth at their Vitality Stadium which they eventually lost 2-0 the previous week.
Arsenal anticipated an easy straightforward victory in this game, but an early mistake made in the first half led to their defeat.
A very significant factor in this defeat was the referee’s decision to give a red card to their defender William Saliba.
The Gunners finished the rest of the match without a player, which led to their defeat and criticism from fans and pundits.
In just eight match weeks in the Premier League, the officials have issued three red cards to Mikel Arteta’s side, which is worrying.
Supporters worldwide are questioning whether the team’s discipline has declined or it is merely a bad luck occurrence.
BBC Sport has published an article regarding Arsenal’s red card problem and its impact on their title challenge.
Gunner’s Red Card Trend
Arteta has reshaped the Arsenal’s team with his tactics making it widely clear that they are in contention for the league title.
However, his leadership has also been linked to an unwanted record of his team getting red cards during his tenure.
Since Mikel Arteta took over as the manager at the Emirates, the team has accumulated a total of eighteen red cards.
Arsenal has received five more red cards than the other Premier League teams and this is an undesirable streak.
The most recent addition to this list is William Saliba receiving a red card against AFC Bournemouth last weekend at the Vitality Stadium.
Other two players of Arsenal who have received red Cards earlier this season Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice.
In the matches where those both received red cards, the Gunners somehow managed a draw but could not avoid losing after receiving one against Bournemouth.
Mikel Arteta’s Views on Red Cards for the Gunners
Arteta expressed his concerns at the team’s, unfortunately, to play with one less player, calling it an unfavorable post-Bournemouth game.
He further added how these small errors have caused the team to lose valuable points and impacted their consistent performance.
He has opposed his team’s mistakes and has urged his players to behave in a proper manner to prevent such incidents in future.
The midfielder Declan Rice has called this issue a foolish error and admitted that it is hampering their challenge for the title.
Arsenal Are Unlucky Or Are Players Undisciplined?
Concerns have always surrounded because of some poor decisions made by the Premier League referees and the VAR.
Fans may wonder whether their team is struggling due to bad refereeing, or the players have become undisciplined.
Based on the three red cards in eight games fans could believe that the player’s indiscipline is the cause for all these offsets.
However, in other prospects, the root cause for such inconsistency is Arsenal’s poor decision-making and lack of confidence in pressure moments.
It is highly anticipated that a top team like Arsenal to show resilience and maturity in every game they play if they need to win.
What Arsenal Needs?
The manager has openly expressed his feelings that the team needs to analyze these issues and avoid repeating them.
Playing with 10 players disrupts the team’s rhythm, as the tactics as a whole get compromised, which, further adds vulnerabilities.
If Arsenal really want to win the league title, they must overcome these hindrances, and the team must act maturely.
If Mikel Arteta and his team successfully address this red card problem, they surely will be in the title race challenging Manchester City.
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