Arsenal to receive hefty fine after Chelsea match

Arsenal will receive a fine after Sunday’s match against Chelsea, in light of the team’s accumulation of yellow cards during the game.

Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

In spite of the fact that Chelsea had a player sent off during Sunday’s draw with Arsenal, it’s the Gunners who are set to be sanctioned by the FA for their discipline during the contest.

That’s because Arsenal received six yellow cards on the day, and the FA hand a £25,000 fine to any team who hit that number in a single game. Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Viktor Gyokeres were all booked.

It’s not the first time Arsenal have received this punishment, having also received six cards during the 3-1 win over Liverpool in February 2024. The same referee was in charge that day, with Anthony Taylor officiating both matches.

Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

Though Chelsea had a player sent off, Moises Caicedo’s red card was actually only one of two cards the team picked up on the day. The other was for Marc Cucurella, who was admittedly lucky not to receive a second yellow for a later foul.

Mikel Arteta will likely be frustrated by the fine, having suggested after the game that his players were targeted for bookings following the red card.

“Obviously after the sending-off of [Moises] Caicedo, we wanted to settle the game,” Arteta said. “We didn’t manage to do that – we had [three] more yellow cards, and those players were obviously targeted in order to even the game in terms of numbers.”

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Though Arsenal didn’t have a player dismissed, all the yellow cards did have an effect. Fearing going down to 10, Arteta withdrew booked players like Calafiori and Zubimendi, both of whom would have been useful to try and break Chelsea down.

But it’s worth mentioning that Chelsea’s own discipline issues will have one significant post-game consequence, as Caicedo’s red card means a three-match ban. He’ll miss trips away to Leeds United and Bournemouth this week, as well as a home game against Everton the following weekend.