Mikel Merino believes Moises Caicedo was correctly shown a red card after a dangerous first half challenge in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Merino, who scored the equaliser against a ten man Chelsea, had been caught heavily by Caicedo earlier in the match. Chelsea had taken the lead from a corner in the first half, and the contest became increasingly physical as it progressed.
The match produced the highest number of bookings in a single half this season with six cautions before the interval, rising to eight by full time.
Merino on Caicedo’s red card
The straight red for Caicedo followed a clumsy challenge on Merino. At first glance both players went to ground, but replays showed the severity of the tackle. VAR reviewed the incident and the Chelsea midfielder was dismissed.
Merino felt the decision was correct. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, “I felt my ankle go all the way. Luckily, I have very mobile ankles and body so I wasn’t concerned about myself. But I knew it was a horrible challenge and a red card straight away.”
Merino reflects on the result
Looking at the match overall, he added, “On one hand, disappointed because we didn’t win. When you wear this shirt, you want to win every game. But on the other hand, this is going to be a long season. It’s a really tough stadium to come to. We’ll take the point.”
Merino’s equalising header was his tenth Premier League goal. Seven of those have been scored with his head. According to OptaJoe, he has the second highest ratio among non defenders to have reached ten or more goals in the competition. Only James Scowcroft, with ten headed goals from fourteen, has a higher percentage.
I thought ‘That’s us lost another striker’ when Caicedo made that challenge..