Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta is set to serve a touchline ban for his side’s final Premier League match of the season against relegated Southampton.
The Spaniard will not be on the touchline after kicking the ball away and picking his third yellow card of the campaign in the 81st minute of Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Newcastle United on Sunday
And as a result, Arteta has now picked up a one-match suspension.
This means, Arteta will not be present when Arsenal take on relegated Southampton on the final day of the Premier League.
And assistant Albert Stuivenberg is likely to take charge in Arteta’s absence.
But the Arsenal boss won’t mind too much after his side all-but-sealed a second-place finish.
A super strike from Declan Rice saw the Gunners beat Newcastle to the runners-up spot while also cementing a place in next season’s Champions League.
This also means that Arsenal could now lose their final match to Southampton.
However, they will still be present in Europe’s elite competition as Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Man City and Nottingham Forest scramble for the three remaining spots.
The Gunners now sit comfortably in the second position on the log with 71 points: five (5) points ahead of Newcastle who are in the third position with 66 points at level with Chelsea and Aston Villa.
The North London club crowned their victory at the Emirates Stadium with goalkeeper David Raya being named player of the match after the Spaniard put up a remarkable display with 5 superb saves against a stubborn Newcastle.
Raya is now poised to pick the golden glove award for the second season in a row after clinching 13 clean sheets with one match left.