Caicedo's challenge on Merino was deemed a horrible foul, and the Spanish midfielder acknowledged that he knew the referee would show the Chelsea player a red card.

When asked if Caicedo had apologized or spoken to him after the incident, Merino replied, "No. Nothing."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised referee Anthony Taylor for his quick decision-making, saying, "It was really fast. I saw the reaction and everyone was saying he's off. Anthony made the call, and I think it's the right one."

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca also commented on the incident, stating that he agreed with the red card for Caicedo but was puzzled by the inconsistent application of rules by referees.

Maresca pointed out that a similar foul by Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur a month prior had not resulted in a red card, and he struggled to understand the difference in judgment.

"For me, tonight it was a red card (for Caicedo), and also that one. Why is one a red card, one is not a red card? This difference you sometimes struggle to understand," Maresca said.