Moisés Caicedo is set to miss Chelsea’s next three Premier League games after picking up a straight red card against Arsenal.
The Ecuadorian midfielder’s first-half challenge on Mikel Merino brought play to a halt nearly 40 minutes in. Both players received treatment, though referee Anthony Taylor had to wait until they were on their feet to hand out bookings. Replays showed Caicedo caught Merino on his ankle as VAR further scrutinised the action.
Taylor originally brandished a yellow card, but was sent to the monitor for an on-field review and eventually upgraded his decision to a red for serious foul play.
“After review, Chelsea 25, makes a challenge with excessive force and endangers the safety of the opponent, therefore my final decision is red card,” Taylor announced.
The Blues ended up earning a hard-fought point, though they’ll be without their star midfielder for the next couple of weeks.
