Football

How long is Arsenal defender William Saliba banned for after Bournemouth red card?

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William Saliba

Arsenal defender William Saliba is set for a spell on the sidelines following his straight red card against Bournemouth.

The France international, who has been recently hailed as one of the best defenders on the planet, found himself in a spot of bother around the half-hour mark of Arsenal’s clash with Bournemouth.

Leandro Trossard’s wayward pass appeared to send Cherries frontman Evanilson through on goal but Saliba acted quickly to grab the Brazilian and prevent a goal-scoring opportunity.

Saliba became the fifth Premier League player to receive a red card today, following Mohammed Kudus, Ryan Fraser, Joachim Andersen and Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

In his 157th appearance in a match in Europe’s top-five leagues, Saliba was sent off for the very first time – also marking his first dismissal for Arsenal in 93 games.

He was initially shown a yellow card by referee Robert Jones, but following a VAR review it was upgraded to red and the Frenchman was sent for an early bath.

WATCH: Saliba shown straight red after denying Evanilson clear-cut goal-scoring chance

How long is William Saliba banned for?

Unfortunately, Saliba is banned for one Premier League game – which happens to fall in one of the biggest clashes of the season as the Gunners prepare to face Liverpool at the Emirates in Gameweek 9.

Luckily for Arsenal, a red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity only results in a one-game ban – which also applies for dismissals for receiving a second yellow and denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball.

Of course, Mikel Arteta’s side would rather not lose one of their key men ahead of a huge date on the calendar against Arne Slot and his Liverpool outfit with six straight wins in their stride.

According to the best football betting sites, Saliba is a 14/1 shot to win the PFA’s Premier League Player of the Year award.