• Home
  • Soccer
  • Arsenal red cards: Are the Gunners better with ten men under Mikel Arteta?

Arsenal red cards: Are the Gunners better with ten men under Mikel Arteta?

Arsenal have received 13 red cards under Mikel Arteta, more than any other team in the Premier League during his tenure. Maybe it's a deliberate tactic.

Granit Xhaka's sending off in the Carabao Cup clash at Liverpool on Thursday evening was the Gunners' 13th red card under Mikel Arteta. It follows hot on the heels of Arsenal becoming the first top-flight side to amass 100 red cards - Gabriel earning them that dubious honour against Manchester City on New Year's Day.
The amount of players they have had sent off, you'd think it would be only prudent for Arsenal to train with ten men - the 5-3-1 system they employed to great effect against Liverpool certainly points towards some kind of forward planning for the eventuality.
And after holding out for a draw against the Reds and having a point cruelly snatched away at the death earlier in the month, it appears the notoriously flaky Gunners might be a much more resolute outfit when deprived of one of their numbers.

Planet Sport goes back through the Arteta reds to see if there's any truth in it.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang vs Crystal Palace (Jan 11, 2020)

Aubameyang fell foul of VAR, seeing red in the 65th minute for a potential ankle-breaker on Palace's Max Meyer.

The two sides were locked together at 1-1 at the time - Aubameyang having scored the Arsenal goal - and there was no further scoring. However, Arsenal could have won it in the closing stages, with Vicente Guaita superbly tipping a Nicola Pepe effort on to the post.

David Luiz vs Chelsea (Jan 21, 2020)

With the match goalless, Luiz received his marching orders in the 26th minute after hauling down Tammy Abraham in the box. Jorginho stepped up to convert the resultant penalty but Arsenal fought back to draw the game 2-2, Gabriel Martinelli and Hector Bellerin with the goals, the last of which came in the 87th minute.

David Luiz vs Manchester City (Jun 17, 2020)

Already trailing 1-0, Arsenal were reduced to ten men in the 49th minute when substitute Luiz brought down Riyad MahrezKevin De Bruyne scored the subsequent penalty but it took City until the 91st minute to add a third, Phil Foden adding the gloss.

Eddie Nketiah vs Leicester (Jul 7, 2020)

The Gunners were leading 1-0 through an Aubameyang penalty when Nketiah was dispatched via VAR for a high tackle on James Justin in the 75th minute. Jamie Vardy equalised nine minutes later but Arsenal clung on for a point.

Nicolas Pepe vs Leeds (Nov 22, 2020)

Pepe's forehead to forehead contact (headbutt is pushing it) with Ezgjan Alioski just six minutes into the second half left the Gunners to play out more than 40 minutes with ten men.

Outplayed even with 11, Arsenal hung on to seal a 0-0 draw after Leeds rattled the woodwork three times against their shorthanded visitors.

Granit Xhaka vs Burnley (Dec 13, 2020)

Again the scoreline was 0-0 when Xhaka was shown red following an off-the-ball altercation with Ashley Westwood in the 56th minute. The ten men were unable to get anything from the game, however, with a 73rd-minute corner skimming off Aubameyang's head and past Bernd Leno to give the Clarets a 1-0 win.

Gabriel vs Southampton (Dec 16, 2020)

With the score locked at 1-1, Gabriel picked up his second yellow card in the 62nd minute to again put Arsenal up against it. That he'd only been booked four minutes previously somehow made it even worse.

Southampton went on to dominate the final half-hour but it was the Gunners who came closest to snatching all three points, Rob Holding crashing a head against the crossbar.

David Luiz vs Wolves (Feb 2, 2021)

A sending-off that changed the flow of the game and one for which Luiz can actually count himself a tad unfortunate. Running to try and catch up with Willian Jose, Luiz made the slightest of contact and down went the Wolves man in the box. Red card for Luiz, penalty scored by Ruben Neves and it's back to 1-1 in first-half injury time.

A stunner from Joao Moutinho four minutes into the second half put Wolves 2-1 ahead and that's how it stayed.

Bernd Leno vs Wolves (Feb 2, 2021)

But not before Bernd Leno also saw red after a complete misjudgement in the 72nd minute saw the ball hit his arm outside the area. Thomas Partey made way for sub keeper Runar Runarsson and the nine men of Arsenal even fashioned a couple of chances in the 90th minute, Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka both seeing shots blocked.

Dani Ceballos vs Villarreal (Apr 29, 2021)

A second yellow saw Ceballos receive his marching orders in the 57th minute of the Europe League semi-final. The Gunners were already 2-0 down but gave themselves hope by snatching an away goal in the 73rd minute courtesy of a Pepe penalty.

Granit Xhaka vs Manchester City (Aug 28, 2021)

The Gunners were already 2-0 down when Xhaka saw red for a reckless lunge on Joao Cancelo in the 35th minute. And it only got worse for the visitors who were humbled 5-0 and saw their hosts outshoot them 24-1. Martin Keown went on to call it "a real sad day for Arsenal Football Club".

Gabriel vs Manchester City (Jan 1, 2022)

Arsenal's 100th Premier League sending off was more daft than memorable. Not long after Martinelli had missed an open goal to put his side 2-1 up, Gabriel picked up a second yellow for throwing out an arm to poleaxe Gabriel Jesus - on the half-way line, miles from danger.

The red card came in the 59th minute and Arsenal again dug in valiantly to protect what they had. That their resolute rearguard action was eventually ended by Rodri in the third minute of added time only made it more cruel.

Granit Xhaka vs Liverpool (Jan 13, 2022)

Only 24 minutes had elapsed when Xhaka saw red for a reckless last-man lunge on Diogo Jota. Nevertheless, with a spot in the final of the Carabao Cup on the line, Arsenal adopted a compact shape and restricted their lacklustre hosts to very few clearcut chances.

Finishing 0-0, there is still all to play for in next week's second leg.

READ MORE: Man Utd transfer news: Are Rice, Haaland and Zakaria any better than what Rangnick already has?

More Articles