Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has warned his players to stop picking up unnecessary red cards.
This follows the latest sending off for the Gunners, after Gabriel Martinelli was shown two quick yellow cards during their 1-0 win at Wolves on Thursday.
Arteta’s men won, thanks to a first-half Gabriel Magalhaes goal and played much of the second half with 10 men.
It was Arsenal’s first goal in all competitions since Bukayo Saka scored in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on New Year’s Day.
Martinelli’s red card is the 12th for the Gunners since Arteta took over in December 2019.
It is by far the most in the Premier League in that period with Brighton and Hove Albion and Southampton a distant second with seven each.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen a red card like this in the 18 years that I’ve been in this league,” Arteta said.
Asked about his side’s poor disciplinary record, Arteta said they cannot afford to keep ending games with 10 men.
“We know that playing with 10 men in this league you’re not gonna get points, enough points, the points that we want and we have to stop it.
“But to be fair it’s difficult to find more arguments and more ways to transmit that to the players. Everybody says it’s the most disciplined group they’ve seen in the last 15 years, but still we are getting red card for other things,”
Arteta added.
