Caicedo's Arsenal Red Card Sidelines Him for Crucial Chelsea Fixtures

Moisés Caicedo will be absent from Chelsea's upcoming three Premier League fixtures following his direct red card dismissal against Arsenal.

The Ecuador international's challenge on Mikel Merino during the first half stopped the match around the 40-minute mark. Both players required medical attention, with referee Anthony Taylor waiting for them to recover before issuing cards. Video replays revealed Caicedo's contact with Merino's ankle as VAR conducted a thorough examination of the incident.

Taylor initially showed a yellow card but was directed to the pitchside monitor for a review, ultimately changing his decision to a red card for dangerous play.

"Following my review, Chelsea number 25 executed a tackle with unnecessary force that put the opponent's safety at risk, so my final ruling is a red card," Taylor declared.

The Blues managed to secure a valuable point despite the setback, but will be without their key midfielder for several upcoming matches.

The Chelsea Fixtures Moises Caicedo Will Miss Following Arsenal Dismissal

A dangerous play dismissal carries an automatic three-game ban. Therefore, Caicedo will be unavailable for these matches:

Dismissals transfer between domestic English competitions—including the Carabao Cup and FA Cup—but don't impact European tournament participation. Caicedo remains available for Dec. 9 when the Blues visit Italy to meet Atalanta in the Champions League.

Regarding domestic competitions, Caicedo's potential return could be in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals when Chelsea visit Cardiff City. His following Premier League appearance would then be against Newcastle United at St. James' Park, assuming he's match-fit.

Caicedo Dismissal Among Multiple Cards in London Derby

The Chelsea versus Arsenal encounter, marking their third straight stalemate at Stamford Bridge, proved to be a tense battle.

Arsenal accumulated three yellow cards within the first 12 minutes, while Marc Cucurella also received a caution for Chelsea. This represented the first recorded instance of Arsenal receiving three bookings in a Premier League match within 30 minutes, according to Opta.

Caicedo's dismissal, his first Premier League red card in 130 matches, became the sixth sending-off for Chelsea across all competitions this season. Blues manager Enzo Maresca was also ejected earlier this campaign against Liverpool for excessive goal celebration.

Piero Hincapié, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Viktor Gyökeres all received cautions in the second period, bringing the match total to eight bookings.