Every Arsenal fan will probably tell you that this season is different. The trust in Mikel Arteta’s process has finally started to pay off, as the Gunners finally seem like a rival capable of ending Man City’s domination. Two runner-ups in the previous two seasons are decent results, but everyone will agree they’re not enough. The club with such a reputation needs trophies and titles, and this season, Arteta’s boys have indicated that they have matured enough to fulfil those needs.And despite the surprising defeat to Bournemouth and the current third spot, four points behind the leaders, Liverpool, the belief in the team is still there. However, speaking of differences, maturity and readiness are, unfortunately for the Gunners, not the only distinctions.Arsenal have received more red cards than any other Premier League side so far this season (𝟯) 🟥 pic.twitter.com/XBWfm3xiI0— LiveScore (@livescore) October 19, 2024 Namely, with three red cards in eight rounds, Arsenal are the worst Premier League side in that sense, followed by Nottingham Forest and Southampton with two each. Moreover, the club from north London is the second worst in the TOP 5 European leagues (?!), alongside the Italian sides Lecce and AC Milan, the French Olympique Marseille, and La Liga’s Celta and Athletic Bilbao, each with three red cards. The only less disciplined sides are Parma and Sevilla, whose players were sent off four times this season.Arteta calls on Arsenal to channel Bournemouth defeat into UCL motivationLooking at the previous two Arsenal seasons makes people wonder what happened with the Gunners. How did the team that was the third and the second most disciplined in the Premier League in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, respectively, become the biggest “ruffians,” ending 37.5% of league games with a man down?! Moreover, the only three matches Arteta’s crew failed to win were the ones in which its players “saw red.”One of the differences above compared to the previous season referred to the more passionate playing style, expressed especially against Man City and embodied in a warrior mentality to defend with ten men for an hour. But exaggeration can never be good.##NAJAVA_MECA_8424544##And it’s not just about the loss to the Cherries two days ago. The season is long and numerous turnarounds will undoubtedly happen. It’s about the long-term consequences which are already knocking on the door. The first one – William Saliba will miss (at least) the derby against Liverpool. Hence, his dismissal could cost Arsenal much more than only three points.
