Kai Havertz facing Arsenal suspension but one game can prevent it

For the first two full seasons of Mikel Arteta’s tenure, Arsenal sat in the bottom half of the Premier League fair play table with only Manchester United worse off than themselves. Yellow and red cards were building up and creating problems in the team’s form and competitiveness in the league.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and Manchester City, the league’s then-pace setters were sitting pretty at the top. Fast forward to 2022/23 however when the Gunners competed for the title for the first time in more than a decade and finished third, West Ham (1) and Man City (2) were the only teams better off.

However, as Arsenal chase the league for the second successive season in a row, with nine games left, they sit top of the fair play table. The Gunners have amassed just 42 yellow cards this season compared to Sheffield United who sit bottom and have collected 81.

Just the two red cards for Arsenal have also helped their tally and they’re three points, in this regard, ahead of second-placed City and 23 ahead of tenth-place Liverpool. This certainly highlights the work put in by Arteta to change the squad dynamic in discipline with his players far better at avoiding needless punishment.

That said, Kai Havertz who joined in the summer is the most carded player on the team with ten yellows across all competitions. Were these all to have been collected in the Premier League he would need to serve a two-match ban – much like City’s Rodri will if he collects two more in the next three games.

However, it is this threshold that can save Havertz from the same fate. After the 32nd Premier League game week, yellow card accumulation suspensions cease. In the league, Havertz has just seven yellows meaning if he avoids getting booked in one of the next three Premier League matches against Luton Town, Brighton and Aston Villa then he will indeed not need to worry about future cautions.

Havertz has gained something of a reputation for having an edge that had been lacking from the Arsenal side. A player willing to play “the game” and rile up other players with comparisons made to former Blue Diego Costa.

He has even moved to the Arsenal centre-forward position, the same role Costa played for Chelsea. His form has been transformed under Arteta and he would be a massive loss were he to miss two games before the season finishes.

With Arsenal needing a potentially perfect run to the end of the campaign to have the best chance of lifting the league title, they cannot afford to lose an asset like Havertz. City missed Rodri through suspension at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the season and it cost them significantly, Arteta will be ensuring his side do not suffer the same fate.