Ten-Man Arsenal Stunned by Bournemouth
Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season came to a shocking halt as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth on Saturday, with a critical red card for William Saliba playing a pivotal role in the loss.
Mikel Arteta’s side, who had embarked on a 10-match unbeaten run across all competitions, faced a stern test on the south coast. The match turned controversial when Saliba was shown a red card in the 30th minute for a professional foul on Bournemouth’s Evanilson. Initially booked for the challenge, the decision was escalated to a red card following a VAR review, leaving Arsenal to play with ten men for the remainder of the match.
Despite being a man down, Arsenal managed to hold off Bournemouth until the closing stages. However, Ryan Christie broke the deadlock in the 70th minute, converting a clever flick from Justin Kluivert off a set-piece into the top corner. The Gunners’ struggles were compounded further when Kluivert added a second goal in the 79th minute, converting a penalty after David Raya brought down Evanilson in the box following a poor back-pass from Jakub Kiwior.
This defeat was a bitter disappointment for Arsenal, who would have climbed to the top of the Premier League with a victory. Instead, they find themselves in third place and could be four points adrift of leaders Liverpool if the Reds secure a win against Chelsea on Sunday.
Arsenal’s Struggles
Arsenal’s performance was lackluster throughout, further highlighting the absence of injured forward Bukayo Saka, who missed the match after leaving the England squad due to injury. The Gunners struggled to find any rhythm, with key players failing to make an impact.
Leandro Trossard epitomized the team’s malaise with a poor pass that led to Saliba’s sending off. Even with ten men, Arsenal nearly opened the scoring when Mikel Merino‘s shot hit the side-netting, but they ultimately struggled to maintain control of the game.
Despite some promising moments, including a good save from Raya to deny Marcus Tavernier, Arsenal couldn’t capitalize on their chances, with Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Martinelli unable to convert opportunities.
As the match wore on, the Gunners seemed to lose their footing, culminating in a disappointing result that not only ends their unbeaten streak but also places additional pressure on them ahead of a crucial match against Liverpool next weekend. Arsenal will also need to regroup quickly as they face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The defeat marked only the second time in history that Arsenal has lost to Bournemouth, serving as a significant setback in their pursuit of their first Premier League title since 2004.