FA Investigating Yellow Card Shown To Arsenal Player Amid Concerns Over Suspicious Betting Patterns

The Football Association are investigating a yellow card received by an Arsenal player during a Premier League game this season, amid concerns over suspicious betting patterns.

The Athletic have reported that a bookmaker has informed the FA that an unusual amount of money was placed on the player to receive a booking during a league match.

The Athletic claim to know the identity of the player but have chosen not to reveal his name at this stage due to privacy.

A bookmaker has flagged unusual betting patterns around the yellow card (Image: Alamy)

The FA told The Athletic: "The FA is aware of the matter in question and is looking into it."

The amount of money placed on the bet is said to be ‘highly unusual’.

Betting on individual outcomes in matches, such as a corner being taken at a certain time or a card being given, is known as ‘spot betting’.

It is problematic for football’s governing bodies as a single individual can affect the outcome of a bet, as opposed to regular bets such as the winner of a match.

Spot fixing is a major problem in football leagues around the world but is thought to be relatively rare in the Premier League, where players earn higher salaries.

The yellow card in question was given during a Premier League match this season (Image: Alamy)

However, there are previous instances of it occurring in English football.

Following his retirement, former England international Matt Le Tissier admitted that he had colluded with friends to bet on the timing of the first throw-in in a match he played for Southampton against Wimbledon in 1995.

In his autobiography, Le Tissier said he had tried to “make a few quid” by attempting to kick the ball out of play, as he looked to profit on a bet for the first throw in to occur in the opening minute of the match.

However, the plan failed after a team-mate stopped the ball from going out of play.

The FA have confirmed they are investigating the concerns (Image: Alamy)

The matter was referred to Hampshire Police but an investigation was not launched because the force decided it “would not be in the public interest and (did) not represent appropriate use of police resources”.

Meanwhile, in 2018 former Lincoln City player Bradley Wood was banned by the FA for six years for telling friends to bet on him being booked in FA Cup matches against Ipswich and Burnley.

Topics: Arsenal, Football, Premier League

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan