Mikel Arteta could be without some big names during the festive period – with yellow cards beginning to pile up across the board....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
Mikel Arteta could be without a key player when Arsenal face Fulham at the weekend. The Gunners will lock horns with the west Londoners at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon, as both teams look to climb the Premier League table.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In the meantime, Arsenal must take on Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening before Fulham host Brighton on Thursday night. With the Gunners eager to narrow Liverpool’s advantage at the top of the table, the clash could prove to be season-defining.
If Gabriel Jesus is shown a yellow card tonight, then he will miss the Cottagers fixture due to suspension. Premier League rules state that players who receive a total of five yellow cards over the first 19 games will be given a one-match ban.
As it stands, there are 30 players across the Premier League walking a tightrope on four cautions – one of which being the Arsenal striker. Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Jorginho are all on three yellow cards.
If a player is booked 10 times across the first 32 Premier League matches of the season, they will be suspended for two games. With domestic cup competitions underway, it must be said that yellow cards picked up in the English top-flight are not carried over to the Carabao Cup or FA Cup.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the United clash, Arteta was quizzed on Saka’s importance to the side. The Arsenal manager said: “He’s providing something else. He’s adding things to his game, he is more and more consistent and, as you mention now, obviously his numbers in terms of impact in goals and assists is incredible at this stage of the season.
“He can only improve, he can only get better. He has got the right players around him to continue to do so and especially because he wants more.”
On Saka’s admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, Arteta added: “To look is always good! And probably, the way Cristiano started his career and when he joined Manchester United, nobody probably expected in the first few seasons [he would] be able to do that.
“But again, it was about his mentality, his work ethic, how he developed his skill, his chemistry with his team and to play in a team that has the capacity as well to be dominant. That is very, very important. I think B has got that context and if he is aiming for that, I think it is a positive thing.”
Nevertheless, Jesus is at risk of missing the Fulham match, with four yellow cards to his name. Meanwhile, Saka, Timber and Jorginho have incurred three cautions so far this season; if they were to pick up suspensions, Arsenal would be dealt a major blow to their title hopes …..CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
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