Olivier Giroud Banned 3 Matches for Red Card vs. QPR

Arsenal will be without star striker Olivier Giroud for the foreseeable future, as the Frenchman received a straight red card in the team's Boxing Day match against Queens Park Rangers for an apparent head-butt.

The forward tumbled to the pitch after rushing into QPR's Robert Green, stood back up and clashed with QPR's Nedum Onuoha. The two seemed to clash heads, and after much confusion, the official reached for his back pocket and brandished the red, per ESPN FC:

Arsenal's official Twitter feed didn't see it that way, as they felt the 28-year-old did little more than shove:

Former England international Gary Lineker disagreed, and he couldn't believe the forward would lose his temper like that:

"

Well that was utterly stupid from Olivier Giroud! Can't be gorgeous and have brains, I suppose.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 26, 2014"

Arsene Wenger agreed with Lineker, per Arsenal's Twitter feed:

According to the Daily Telegraph's Henry Winters, the red carries an automatic three-match suspension:

Arsenal had dominated QPR up until the sending off, and facing a very busy holiday schedule, the Gunners will have to find a way to stay in the Premier League title race without their most consistent threat at the striker position.

Giroud's fury at the decision of the official was somewhat understandable given the fact Onuoha shoved him into Green, a dangerous move at full speed, but he clearly wasn't thinking when he got back up and clashed with the defender.

While the red card will be hotly debated in the coming days, there's no denying the France international forced the official into making a decision by launching himself at Onuoha in the first place.