Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been given an automatic touchline ban after collecting a yellow card against Newcastle United.
The Gunners beat Newcastle United 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to all-but confirm finishing as runners-up for a third successive campaign. Had the Magpies won, they would have moved up to second and in turn secured Champions League qualification with one game to spare.
Instead, Eddie Howe’s side must now beat Everton next Sunday to guarantee a return to Europe’s premier competition.
Anything less will mean relying on results elsewhere - rivals Chelsea and Nottingham Forest go head-to-head at the City Ground while Aston Villa travel to Manchester United and Manchester City - after playing their game in-hand at home to AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday - go to Fulham.
Mike Arteta handed one-match touchline ban after Newcastle United
Arsenal head to the South Coast without the prospect of any final day drama. The only way the Gunners can finish in third is if they lose to the Saints and Man City both their remaining matches whilst overturning a 10-goal swing.
The only slight dampener is Arsenal won’t have their head coach at the touchline at St Mary’s after Arteta picked up his third yellow card of the season against Newcastle.
The Spaniard was booked by referee Simon Hooper in the 81st minute for kicking the ball back onto the pitch when Emil Krafth had another ball in his hands as he prepared to take a throw-in. As per The International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) Laws of the Game, a player or coach can be cautioned if deemed to be “delaying the restart of play.”
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And as per FA rules, any coaches that receive three bookings over the course of the season are handed a one-match ban across any domestic competition.
Arteta was previously booked during Arsenal’s FA Cup third defeat against Manchester United on January 12 and then again in the 2-2 league draw with Aston Villa in the league six days later. The 43-year-old’s assistant Albert Stuivenberg is expected to take charge of the visit to Southampton.
Newcastle United assistant Jason Tindall has served the same ban
Newcastle were without assistant Jason Tindall for their 1-1 draw away to Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month after he was shown his third yellow card of the season a week earlier during the 3-0 win over Ipswich Town.
With Howe having only just returned from a fortnight off with pneumonia and still not feeling 100% at the time, Tindall took on most of the touchline responsibilities against Ipswich.
Howe was left baffled by the decision, believing it was deliberate ploy to stop Tindall from managing.
“It baffles me why, to be honest, because I was right there and I saw and heard everything,” Howe said at his post-match press conference. “To a degree, I think it's aimed purely at trying to stop Jason managing, but I was the one back in the dugout so I don't see the issue.”
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