Arsenal are high of the Premier League, high of the Champions League and likewise high of the Premier League truthful play desk, with Mikel Arteta crediting modifications in refereeing and urging his gamers to take care of their self-discipline.
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Arsenal have collected the within the league, with 22 factors made up solely of yellow playing cards, inserting them forward of Manchester Metropolis and Leeds United, who each sit on 27 factors.
The figures mark a transparent shift from final season, when Arsenal have been proven three pink playing cards of their opening eight league matches.
These dismissals concerned Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard and William Saliba, with Rice and Trossard despatched off for kicking the ball away and delaying the restart in opposition to Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester Metropolis.
They haven’t obtained any pink playing cards to date this season.
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Talking forward of Saturday’s dwelling match in opposition to Brighton, Arteta mentioned he believes a change in how the legal guidelines are being utilized has performed a task in Arsenal’s improved pink card report.
“I believe the principles are completely different now,” he .
“So, we paid a giant value with that (delaying the restart) rule, and hopefully that stays away and we proceed to play with 11 gamers.”
Arteta additionally mirrored on Rice’s dismissal on the Emirates Stadium in August final 12 months, admitting the style of that efficiency left an enduring impression.
“I bear in mind it very nicely,” he mentioned. “I used to be very hacked off within the method that we performed with 10 males. So hopefully it’s going to be very completely different this time.”
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Requested about Arsenal’s place on the high of the truthful play standings, Arteta mentioned he was unaware of the statistic however welcomed it.
“I didn’t know. That’s good, excellent.”
Arsenal’s report leaves them forward of a number of direct rivals, together with Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool, whereas Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea sit on the backside of the desk.