Chelsea vs. Arsenal: PGMOL Explains Moises Caicedo Red Card and His Ban.
The Premier League’s referee organization, PGMOL, has explained why Moises Caicedo got a red card in Chelsea’s big game against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
The Ecuadorian midfielder was very active from the start, running all over the field and trying hard to win the ball. But his energy got him into trouble. In the 34th minute, Caicedo made a very strong tackle on Mikel Merino, which led to him being sent off.
At first, referee Anthony Taylor showed Caicedo a yellow card. But after checking the VAR monitor, he changed it to a red card. The replay showed that Caicedo’s leg hit Merino’s ankle with too much force, which is dangerous play.
The PGMOL explained the decision on X (formerly Twitter):
“After VAR review, the referee changed Caicedo’s yellow card to a red card for serious foul play. The referee said: ‘Chelsea 25 makes a challenge with excessive force and endangers the safety of the opponent, so my final decision is red card.'”
Before the red card, Chelsea was playing better. But after Caicedo was sent off, Arsenal had the best chance of the game. Gabriel Martinelli tried to score, but Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made a great save.
What happens next? Caicedo will now miss games because of the red card. Fans and analysts are talking about whether the red card was fair, but the rules say safety comes first.
However: Caicedo will not play in the Premier League until Chelsea’s trip to Newcastle United on December 20, leaving Maresca without his chief midfield enforcer for the next three weeks in domestic football.
Reece James and Malo Gusto can both fill in alongside Enzo Fernandez or Andrey Santos in midfield, though, while Dario Essugo – a like-for-like replacement – is back in full training after a thigh operation and could be an option in the coming weeks too.