Frank Christian
Mikel Arteta has informed Arsenal supporters about the club’s intentions to contest William Saliba’s suspension from the Premier League.
Saliba, representing France, received a straight red card during Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth, marking the first time he has been dismissed in his career.
Initially, referee Rob Jones issued Saliba a yellow card for pulling back Evanilson while pursuing a loose ball in the Arsenal half. However, after a VAR review, this was changed to a red card, as Saliba was adjudged to have obstructed an ‘obvious goal-scoring opportunity’ for Evanilson, who had a clear route towards the goal, even though he was notably distant from it.
This is the third red card that Arsenal has received in the Premier League this season, with Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice also having been sent off for preventing match restarts.
According to Premier League regulations, Saliba will now face a mandatory one-match suspension, which means he will be sidelined for the vital upcoming home match against Liverpool while Arsenal deliberates on an appeal.
Arteta stated regarding the appeal, “I leave that to the club to assess the situation. They will need to consider clear examples in identical situations and reach a decision.” This was said prior to Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League encounter with Shakhtar Donetsk.
It’s worth noting that the ban does not apply to European matches, hence Saliba is likely to remain in the starting lineup for the clash against Shakhtar.
Arteta also provided updates on team injuries, confirming that captain Martin Odegaard is still unavailable due to injury. In contrast, Bukayo Saka is hopeful to play against the Ukrainians after missing the Bournemouth game due to a knock sustained while on international duty with England.
“Both players are making good progress,” he mentioned. “Martin is not fit yet, but we will evaluate Bukayo after today’s training session.”
This season, Arsenal has accumulated four points from their first two matches in the Champions League, featuring a goalless draw against Atalanta followed by a 2-0 victory at home over Paris Saint-Germain.
