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Brentford lose key player for Arsenal clash

Kevin Schade will be unavailable for Brentford’s upcoming game against Arsenal due to a red-card suspension picked up against Aston Villa.

Kevin Schade of Brentford is shown a red card by referee Tim Robinson during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Brentford at Villa Park on February 01, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images

One of Brentford’s standout players this season so far, Kevin Schade certainly didn’t have his best game over the weekend, as he was shown a straight red card for a silly kick out in the 42nd minute against Aston Villa.

The straight red for violent conduct carries an automatic three-match ban, so Schade will miss this Saturday’s trip away to Newcastle United, next Thursday’s visit from Arsenal, and the subsequent FA Cup fourth round game against Macclesfield.

Straight red card bans do carry across domestic competitions, so the Macclesfield game does count. It’s only in the case of accumulated yellow-card suspensions that the bans are competition-specific.

Kevin Schade of Brentford clashes with Matty Cash of Aston Villa, resulting in a red card for Kevin Schade during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Brentford at Villa Park on February 01, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Schade had three goals and two assists in his previous six games for Brentford, so it’s a major blow for them to lose him.

But Arsenal will be wary of what happened next in the Villa game, with Brentford scoring four minutes after the red card and clinging on for a 1-0 win in the second half.

If Brentford can do it against Villa without Schade with 10 men away from home, they’ll fancy their chances with 11 when they welcome Arsenal to their own ground.

Kevin Schade of Brentford is shown a red card by English referee Tim Robinson during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Brentford at Villa Park on February 01, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

In the meantime, Arsenal will host Sunderland as Brentford travel to Newcastle this weekend.

The Gunners will want to avoid any suspensions of their own, having so far managed to get through 24 Premier League fixtures in 2025/26 without a single red card.

No one in the squad is close to reaching 10 yellows either (Calafiori has the most with five), so there’s no risk there right now.

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