- For Arsenal a draw was predicted, but even so it was disappointing
- Visit Tottenham. It’s safer than Rwanda (which backs the war in DR Congo)
By Tony Attwood
In terms of yellow cards awarded against the teams this season, Arsenal are in 16th position with 60 cards. Only four clubs have got fewer: Liverpool and Newcastle United each have 58, Manchester City have 56 and Brentford have 48.
That all seems pretty good until we get to the fact that in terms of second yellow cards however, Arsenal are one of just five clubs that have had this happen to them this season, twice. Only two clubs have had this happen three times, no club has gone beyond that.
But in terms of straight red cards Arsenal are top of the league (equal with Southampton) with three red cards. Six teams sit at the other end of the scale having had none.
But the area where Arsenal really suffer from the refereeing decision-making is in the field of getting a second yellow card and thus a red. Arsenal are alone in having this happen five times this season. Crystal Palace and Ipswich have had this happen four times. Four clubs are on three of such occasions.
But this is not at all because Arsenal get more yellow cards than other clubs. In fact the reverse is generally true. The table below shows the 20 Premier League clubs with the total number of yellow cards they had for all reasons, the total number of red cards, and then in the last column, Yellow cards given for “other reasons”. “Other reasons means not for fouls, unprofessional conduct or diving, but something else. But as we see below, what that “something else” is remains a mystery – which in this era of football, is ludicrous.
| Team | Yellow Total | Red Total | “Other” Yellow* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Chelsea | 92 | 1 | 33 |
| 2. Bournemouth | 84 | 1 | 18 |
| 3. Southampton | 82 | 3 | 20 |
| 4. Leicester | 76 | 0 | 13 |
| 5. Ipswich | 76 | 4 | 17 |
| 6. Manchester United | 72 | 3 | 19 |
| 7. Everton | 71 | 2 | 23 |
| 8. Fulham | 70 | 2 | 18 |
| 9. Wolverhampton | 69 | 2 | 20 |
| 10. Crystal Palace | 69 | 4 | 17 |
| 11. Brighton | 69 | 3 | 21 |
| 12. West Ham | 67 | 3 | 16 |
| 13. Nottingham Forest | 67 | 2 | 14 |
| 14. Aston Villa | 66 | 2 | 14 |
| 15. Tottenham | 61 | 1 | 11 |
| 16. Arsenal | 60 | 5 | 27 |
| 17. Newcastle | 58 | 1 | 18 |
| 18. Liverpool | 58 | 2 | 9 |
| 19. Manchester City | 56 | 1 | 13 |
| 20. Brentford | 48 | 1 | 15 |
The term “Other yellow” or Yellows given “for other reasons” means yellow cards not given for fouls, unprofessional conduct or diving, but for some other reason. So because Arsenal have suffered from this as a reason for getting cards I have written to WhoScored who publish the figures, and to PGMOL who run the refereeing show, and asked what “other” means in this context. Neither has replied.
Now Footballrules.com tell us that a yellow card can be given among other things for a delay in the the restart of play. dissent by word or action, entering, re-entering or leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission. So presumably it has to be one or more of those reasons, but having watched almost every Arsenal home game this season live, and seen the away games on TV, I wonder if this really is the reason for all these “other reason” yellow cards.
Whatever the cause is, it has to be something that other clubs are not that much involved in. For example, Nottingham Forest have had 14 cards for “other” reasons, Leicester have had 13 such cards, Manchester City 13, Tottenham Hots 11 and Liverpool just nine.
And this is an important issue because just under half of all Arsenal’s yellow cards are for these mysterious “other” reasons. Whereas only 19% of Liverpool’s cards are for this secretive “other” situation or situations.
So what is it that Arsenal are doing that gets them yellow cards, which is not to do with a foul, unprofessional conduct or diving, but which Arsenal do more than any other club except Chelsea?
Last season, in the whole season, Arsenal got 27 yellow cards for the mysterious “other” reasons – the same number as they have now. The season before last Arsenal were right down the league for “other” card offences and knocked up only 14 such cards.
Thus something has happened in the last two years, but despite writing to both the PGMO and WhoScored I can’t find out what “other” means in this context. And this is ludicrous – for how can we fully appreciate and report on football when an issue like what a yellow card was given for, is hidden away in secrecy?
