Arsenal will have Leandro Trossard available for the next Premier League game at home to Leicester on Saturday afternoon, despite his red card against Manchester City.
Trossard was given his marching orders by referee Michael Oliver in first half stoppage time, perceived to have kicked the ball away following a foul on Bernardo Silva. It was confirmed by VAR that a second yellow card in that instance was specifically issued for delaying the games restart.
It is the second time in quick succession that an Arsenal player has received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away after Declan Rices controversial dismissal against Brighton & Hove Albion.
It was reported the next day that Trossard told teammates in the dressing room he had not heard the whistle signalling the prior foul and was attempting to play a pass.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta took a dim view when then asked by a journalist in the days since if he had to remind his players not to kick the ball away: "For passing the ball you mean? Just leave the ball, don't touch the ball. We'll play without the ball."
For a red card that was the result of two yellow cards, Trossard is issued an automatic one-game suspension. Only straight red cards can be appealed, so Arsenal must accept it.
But the ban applies to all domestic games, rather than being defined by singular competitions. So while Rice had to miss the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, Trossard can be selected when Leicester visit the Emirates Stadium at the weekend.
Trossard's ban will have already been served by then, with Arsenal hosting League One's Bolton Wanderers in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. The Belgian, having started three Premier League games in a row, may have been rested for that one anyway, with Arteta having the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling to turn to for squad rotation.
Ultimately, a man disadvantage in the second half against City did prove costly. Arteta knew that Arsenal would not be able to go toe to toe with a player less and sent his team out to defend for their lives. It so very nearly worked as well, until a 98th minute equaliser from John Stones denied the Gunners what would have been a first victory at the Etihad Stadium in nearly a decade.
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