Arsenal are facing a significant financial penalty from the Football Association despite securing a point away to London rivals Chelsea on Sunday. The Gunners' 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge was marred by ill-discipline, with the club now set to be hit with a £25,000 fine for accumulating too many yellow cards.
Fiery Derby Leads to Disciplinary Action
The match, which saw Chelsea play over half the game with ten men, ended with Arsenal receiving six cautions. In stark contrast, Chelsea, aside from Moises Caicedo's red card, only had Marc Cucurella booked. The FA's rules are clear: any team receiving six or more yellow cards in a single match is automatically fined the substantial sum.
The Arsenal players shown yellow cards were Martin Zubimendi, Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie, and Cristhian Mosquera, with substitutes Viktor Gyokeres and Myles Lewis-Skelly also entering the book after coming off the bench.
An Uncharacteristic Lack of Discipline
This disciplinary lapse was particularly unusual for Mikel Arteta's side, who have been one of the Premier League's most well-behaved teams this campaign. The six bookings at Stamford Bridge took their season total to just 18. Before this match, only Newcastle United (13) and Manchester United (16) had received fewer cautions.
The game itself was decided by two second-half goals. Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah broke the deadlock before Arsenal's Mikel Merino equalised. The major turning point came just before half-time when Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was sent off. The Ecuadorian was initially shown a yellow for a late tackle on Merino, but VAR intervention prompted referee Paul Tierney to upgrade the sanction to a red card.
Contrasting Disciplinary Records
While Arsenal grapple with their fine, Chelsea's own disciplinary issues continue to be a talking point. Caicedo's dismissal was the Blues' fourth red card in the Premier League this season – no other team has more than two, and Arsenal are yet to have a player sent off. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca addressed his team's ill-discipline in October, stating he prefers education over punishment.
"I'm not that kind of manager to punish players," Maresca said. "I don't think it's the right way to do things. I prefer to help them to understand... They are all different kinds of red cards, but if you concede four or five it's something that we have to improve."
At the other end of the spectrum, Bournemouth lead the league for yellow cards with 35, followed closely by Brighton on 33. For Arsenal, the financial consequence is a direct hit for their conduct in a heated London derby that ultimately ended all square.
