- Arsenal v Leicester and the very curious case of Leicester’s yellow cards
- Are Arsenal turning into a dirty team, or is it the media that’s getting nasty?
By Bulldog Drummond
Arsenal only won two of their first 12 games against Leicester in the League. But then after a couple of years of to-and-fro Arsenal settled down and went 14 games against the club without defeat. Then in 1928 they went on a run of just one defeat in the next 27 matches.
Moving on to recent times Arsenal have won the last five games against Leicester giving a total of 72 Arsenal wins to 33 Leicester wins. In fact since 1973 Leicester has only once beaten Arsenal at Arsenal’s home ground.
On the injury front matters remain utterly horrendous and the fact that Arsenal are winning any games at all with this sort of injury list is pretty amazing.
Odegaard is out at least until next month, as is Zinchenko, as is Tomiyasu as is Merino as is Tierney for whom there is still no sign of a return.
Trossard is suspended. It is thought that Timber and White are ok, and David Raya has a 75% chance of returning for this match, all according to the EPL injury table.
According to the same source Jakub Stolarczyk, Patson Daka and Jannik Vestergaard are unavailable for the visitors.
In terms of Arsenal’s progress this season in the two games the club has drawn they have gone down to 10 men (against Brighton and ManC) – and in both cases Arsenal were ahead when the red card was waved. That must give a clue as to how to proceed.
But looking at things another way the BBC kindly informs us that “Arsenal have won 16 of their last 17 top-flight fixtures against newly promoted opposition (including all six last season by an aggregate score of 25-4).” It seems the only team to beat the run was Nottingham Forest on 20 May 2023 – and that was away.
And we must mention Kai Havertz. If he scores he will be “the first player to score in each of Arsenal’s opening three home matches of a Premier League campaign since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2019-20.”
Meanwhile, Gabriel remains the top-scoring defender in the Premier League, despite UK’s TV stations going to enormous lengths to help opposition clubs by showing exactly how he does it over and over again. He’s got 16 Premier League goals in all, and as you will recall has scored in each of the last two games. In addition, Gabriel Jesus has scored seven goals in eight Premier League appearances against Leicester which seems like a rather good record to aim to keep up.
As for Leicester the BBC rather cruelly point out that they have not won a game “in each of their opening five games of a Premier League campaign” three times. On the previous two occasions, they were relegated.
They also tell us that the club has had one clean sheet in the last 28 fixtures in the league, and that was a goalless draw. They don’t add, but we can, that Arsenal have scored in each of their last 11 league games – the last time the club failed to score was at home to Aston Villa.
So we move onto the team.
Pain in the Arsenal come up with
Raya;
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori;
Partey, Rice, Nwaneri;
Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Raya;
White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber;
Havertz, Partey, Rice;
Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Raya;
White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori;
Partey, Rice, Havertz;
Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
So I can think we can probably say it is going to be something among that lot.
But let us finish on a thought about Leicester’s run into promotion last season. In their last 14 games, they won six, drew one and lost five. Which is generally speaking middle-of-the-table stuff rather than a drive toward promotion. Of course, they did get promotion in the end but if we take a look at our regular friend, the last six games table, we can conveniently look at the top six and bottom six.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 16 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 1 | +11 | 15 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 14 |
| 18 | Leicester City | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 3 |
| 19 | Everton | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 1 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 16 | -11 | 1 |
The last ten matches table has Leicester in 14th and Arsenal second, and given that a lot of those games from Leicester were played in the Championship, that is not overly impressive. But let us not get too excited. We’ll stick with the last six. For now.
Gaurdiola’s response to Arteta.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13223106/pep-guardiola-man-city-boss-demands-clarity-from-arsenal-manager-mikel-arteta-about-premier-league-champions-dark-arts-tactics
Ben
Well it may be things like the cynical foul on the halfway line late in the Newcastle game, where Ruben wiped out the Newcastle player who was breaking into their half.
It received a Yellow card, (could of been a Red it was that cynical), to which the response from the commentator was ‘That’s a good card’!! WTF!
I don’t know how many times I’ve had to say this, but you couldn’t make this shit up.
At least Ally McCoist had the decency to repeat about 3 or 4 times “That’s a poor challenge” The other prick was happy to give him a ‘well done’!
And we had at least 3 Newcastle go down with cramp. I wonder if they will be accused of employing the ‘Dark Arts’, or is it perhaps just that playing Man City at home with 11 men is pretty knackering, let alone away with 10 men.
The double standards just keep on rolling.
Someone’s got to put the ego that is Pep back in his box. Who the **** does he think he is?
Well I think we know. He’s SKY Sports poster boy.
So, at half time, did Leicester park the bus ? use dark arts ?
I mean, 4 fouls, 3 yellows…. to Arsenal’s 5 and no yellow.
And 25 % possession to Leicester – no idea ow they compute that on, just did not seem like it.
Anyway, well done, 2 goals, Martinelle finally on the score sheet… this is very good.
Well, what a fun game….
And, say what you want the second Leicester goal was incredible….
If I am not wrong, this is the third game in a row where we score from corner.
And Trossard again.. This player was the steal recruitment of this decade.
Glad for the 3 points. Another completely inconsistent performance from the ref. Arsenal with 2 really terrible yellows to start the game. Fast forward to Havertz getting totally clattered in the box by 2 Leicester defenders to no call. Inconsistent at the least. I really thought the PGMOL marching orders were handed out at halftime.
I can’t work out the gift 7 added minutes but I’ll take it. Perhaps recompense?
Nitram – I know you’re good at this. How did he get to 7 minutes added?
goonersince72
Thanks gooner. Nice of you to suggest you appreciate it. Takes ages.
I’ll need a chance to watch a full match recording that I can stop start. Alas not possible tonight and I’m in sunny (I wish) Dorset tomorrow and Monday.
I’ll look if I can, but remember, whatever anyone tries to say gooner, our 3rd was scored in only the 94th minute. Which is bog standard.
Great to see that never say die attitude is still there
@ goonersince72
I lost my feed ten minutes before the end and reverted to audio on Arsenal.com. They both suggested that it should be at least 7 mins but after the board went up with the 7 mins there was at least two mins without a ball being kicked……I’m damned sure Leicester wasted more time at the Ems than we did last week. Several players went down injured and the goalkeeper had to have lengthy treatment for an injury which suddenly disappeared. Not one word about time wasting or dark arts so far….let’s see!!!
Mikey
Makes me wish I could get on to it. If anyone else does have a go, remember most restarts have an ‘acceptable time’ before time should be added. Natural delay or something they call it.
I think a corner has 20 seconds (?) so you should only start adding time AFTER that. Goal kicks, freekicks, penalties, throw ins, goal celebrations. all have ‘natural wastage’.
As far as I remember Substitutions, Injuries and VAR checks don’t. If a sub takes a minute, a minute is added, etc.
It’s why it takes so long to do.
I watched the a fair bit of the Newcastle game and they had at least three delays for cramp. Not a word.
Nitram and Mikey
Thanks for replying. I can never figure out just what is normal or what is time wasting. It’s a bit arbitrary. Last season their fetish was throw ins. Remember Tomiyasu’s yellow card. This season it’s back to leisurely strolls to the sideline, holding the ball up for 30 seconds then leaving it for someone else to throw in, today especially. Both sides. The only sure thing is inconsistency. It gets harder and harder to watch. I regularly view Bundesliga and Serie A matches and the refereeing is better.
NITRAM -you’ve explained it. Thanks!
It was noteworthy that MotD made a huge point of saying they though Calafiori should have been sent off for a second yellow card offence, repeatedly showing the offence to which they were referring. No surprise at all that they didn’t even show the incident where a Leicester City player kicked the ball away when Arsenal wanted to take a quick thrown in though yet was not even spoken to. The Arsenal crowd made a huge deal about it but MotD proved their bias yet again by refusing to even acknowledge or challenge it.
Mikey
Spot on.
And what they clearly shows, as if we didn’t already know, is a clear and obvious agenda.
Every man and his dog knows that the biggest point regarding Arsenals 2 second yellows for kicking the ball is not the rights and wrongs, although I still think Rices’ is just plain wrong and Trossards harsh in the extreme, it is INCONSISTANCY.
That incident in the first half is an absolutely perfect example of EXACTLY what Arsenal, and actually a hell of a lot of neutrals are talking about.
Yet the BBC make an editorial decision to not show one of the biggest talking points in football, and instead go down their usual path of trying to infer that Arsenal got away with another one, when in reality we should of been playing 10 men for most of the match.
Also on BBC News, Sport this morning.
The summery of yesterdays matches included a lengthy piece on Palmers 4 goals. Yes, well done and worthy of a mention.
But you would of thought the new Premier League favourites grabbing a dramatic 94th minute winner would of been just as worthy. Apparently not.
But a little piece on Man Utd, Spurs and Celtic were important it seems.
I know, something and nothing, but I highlighted something very similar the other day when the BBC ignored Arsenal completely.
To me it all highlights the utter contempt in which the BBC holds Arsenal.
goonersince 72 or anyone else fancies a bit of time wasting of their own!!!!
Okay, if anyone wants to do the second half timings for Saturdays match, as best I can find these are the guidelines for adding time at the end of a half/match:
EXACT time of event:
-Goal celebration
-Issuing of a Red Card
-Taking of a penalty
-VAR Checks
-Injuries
Substitutions are a minimum of 30 seconds each.
TIME ALLOWED before adding extra time:
In my research I have seen different examples ranging from 6 seconds to 15 seconds, but my best evaluation is as follows:
Time added after 6 seconds
-In keepers hands
-Throw ins
Time added after 15 seconds
-Corner kick
-Goal kick
-Free kick
So as you can see it is a bit confusing. Not only that but when you go on to referee forums and read what they say, the over riding attitude is, ‘it’s up to you’? How you as a referee interpret the situation. Which would obviously suit an organisation that has two tier refereeing down to an art, perfectly. But hay, that’s just me being cynical.
Anyway, if nobody can be arsed, I’ll have a look after my break in Dorset.
COYG
Nitram,
I know it takes an awful amount of time to analyse the added time. I don’t expect you to do it for every match, but I do read it. You gave a pretty good rundown in your comments above. It further supports the inconsistency in refereeing. a mess. We’re down 4 points, 6 games in. Inauspicious.