Mikel Arteta says Chelsea 'targeted' Arsenal stars as forced substitution explained

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·1 December 2025

Mikel Arteta says Chelsea 'targeted' Arsenal stars as forced substitution explained

Gunners boss believes Blues targeted players on yellow cards in attempt to level playing field after Moises Caicedo had been sent off in intense derby

Mikel Arteta believes that Chelsea were targeting Arsenal players on yellow cards during Sunday’s fiery Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues went down to 10 men in the 38th minute of an intense London derby, with Moises Caicedo’s initial caution for a dangerous challenge on Mikel Merino overturned as referee Anthony Taylor instead produced a straight red after a VAR review.

The feisty pattern of the game continued thereafter, with a total of seven yellow cards dished out - six to Arsenal, who will now receive an automatic £25,000 fine from the Football Association (FA) as a result.

Chelsea captain Reece James felt that Gunners defender Piero Hincapie should have also been dismissed for a challenge on Trevoh Chalobah before the break, a view that was shared by manager Enzo Maresca, who rued what he viewed as inconsistent refereeing as he said that Chalobah needed ice on a black eye at half-time and also questioned why Rodrigo Bentancur was not sent off for a challenge on James during Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Tottenham last month.

Arsenal counterpart Arteta, meanwhile, believes that part of Chelsea’s plan was to try and coax those Gunners players already on yellows into second bookings to make it 10 vs 10.

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Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori - three members of Arsenal’s starting defence - were all booked in the first half, along with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, with Arteta admitting that he felt he had to replace Calafiori as a result as he contended with the likes of Estevao and Pedro Neto.

The Italian’s half-time replacement, Myles Lewis-Skelly, joined him in the book less than 10 minutes after coming on and returning striker Viktor Gyokeres also later saw yellow for sliding in on goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

“We had four players with yellow cards [at half-time] and you could see they were targeting those players to get the game even,” Arteta told Sky Sports.

“The one probably with the biggest risk was Riccy [Calafiori], that’s why I had to take him out against Estevao or Neto, that he could come in and look for him.

“We didn’t really settle because the first action of the second half, long ball, they get a foul, free-kick, corner and they score.”

Arteta insisted that the combative nature of the game between Arsenal and Chelsea did not surprise or faze him as London rivals who went into the weekend sitting first and second respectively in the Premier League table did battle in a high-profile fixture.

“I mean, what is at stake? Two top teams fighting for the Premier League, so it’s normal,” he said.