Nicholas MendolaSun, November 30, 2025 at 5:20 PM UTC·1 min readChelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was the fifth player to see a yellow card in the first half of the Blues match against Arsenal on Sunday until VAR helped him become the first one to see red.
A scrappy, physical affair between two fierce London rivals went up a level in the 35th minute when Caicedo arrived late and high to his challenge on Mikel Merino.
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First whistled as a yellow, VAR saw what referee Anthony Taylor did not — a powerful plant of Caicedo's metal studs into the planted ankle of Merino.
Caicedo joined Merino in rolling around on the ground after the incident. We can't say for sure that Caicedo was not hurt making the challenge, but it sure seemed a gesture in hope of mercy.
No quarter was given by Taylor and the VAR crew, who upgraded the offense to a straight red card. Caicedo will now miss Chelsea's upcoming matches against Leeds, Bournemouth, and Everton. He'll be allowed to play in the UEFA Champions League match at Atalanta on December 9.
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