5 starts, 5 yellow cards – does £16m Arsenal defender need to work on his tackling?

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Calum Chambers has already been suspended for accumulating too many bookings. Should he change his game?

When you think of Calum Chambers, you might think of a shy, young defender worried about making the wrong impression at a big club like Arsenal.

The 19-year-old moved to the Emirates Stadium from Southampton in a £16 million switch this summer – and the pressure that comes with playing for the Gunners might have daunted him somewhat.

Looking at his first few games in north London, however, you would have to conclude that this is, rather, a bold, fearless defender who isn’t afraid to make an impression – nor the odd crunching tackle.

But that has come with its consequences as, so early in his Arsenal career, Chambers has already been suspended for amassing too many yellow cards.

As Opta stats show, the versatile defender, who can play both at centre-back or right-back, has won 94 per cent of his tackles so far this Premier League season, which amounts to 17 in total. He has been beaten by his man without getting a challenge in seven times but, as his tackle success rate shows, he tends to get the ball when he wants.

A bi-product of that, though, is his amount of fouls. For the 17 clean tackles he has made, he has committed 10 fouls – being booked for five of those.

That roughly translates to Chambers receiving a yellow card for around a fifth of his attempted tackles – and that is far too costly.

Interestingly, Chambers has received the most yellows in the league so far this term but has committed nowhere near the most fouls. The highest tally is 18, almost double Chambers’ 10.

But the 19-year-old’s fouls are obviously more serious and more noticeable to the referee than most. In Arsenal’s most recent clash, the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, Chambers could have been sent off after committing more fouls after being booked.

Considering the Gunners’ lack of defensive depth, then, boss Arsene Wenger would be wise to have a word with his young defender about getting suspended so soon in his career in the capital. Chambers is clearly able – but he is perhaps too eager to get his tackles in.