Arsenal, reduced to 10 men, experienced their first loss of the season in a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth. The setback puts pressure on the team as they look to recover in upcoming matches.
Arsenal experienced their first defeat of the season when William Saliba’s red card significantly contributed to a surprising 2-0 loss against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s team began the season with an impressive 10-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, but that run came to a contentious end on the south coast.
Arsenal defender Saliba received a red card after half an hour for committing a professional foul on Evanilson. Initially, he was given a yellow card, but it was upgraded to a red following a VAR review.
In the final moments, Bournemouth gained the lead when Ryan Christie broke through The Gunners’ defense.
Justin Kluivert’s penalty led to Arsenal experiencing their first loss since their Champions League quarter-final second-leg defeat against Bayern Munich in April.
It was a tough setback for Arsenal, as they missed the chance to lead the Premier League with a win. Now, they’ll have to confront title rivals Liverpool next weekend without Saliba due to his suspension.
Arsenal, currently in third place, will be four points behind Liverpool if the league leaders beat Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday.
Arsenal delivered a lackluster performance, highlighting the crucial role of injured forward Bukayo Saka, who missed the match after leaving England’s game against Greece last weekend due to injury.
They aim to recover in the Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk scheduled for Tuesday.
In December 2019, Arteta’s inaugural match as manager of Arsenal ended in a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Since then, the Gunners have undergone a significant transformation under the Spaniard’s leadership, evolving into consistent title contenders.
However, suffering only their second-ever defeat to Bournemouth was a major setback in their pursuit of securing a first English title since 2004.
Upon returning to action after the international break, Arsenal found it challenging to establish a rhythm.
In the 30th minute, Leandro Trossard epitomized their struggles with a poor pass that forced Saliba to scramble after Bournemouth forward Evanilson.
Saliba’s frantic pull caused the Brazilian to tumble midway through Arsenal’s half, leading Rob Jones to issue a yellow card.
Bournemouth passionately argued that the French centre-back should have been sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Their protest was acknowledged when VAR official Jared Gillett advised Jones to upgrade his decision to a red card.
Arsenal almost seized the lead even after Saliba left the field early when Raheem Sterling’s pass found Mikel Merino, who fired a shot that hit the side-netting.
When David Raya deflected Antoine Semenyo’s close-range shot, Arteta reacted by bringing on Polish defender Jakub Kiwior and shifting Declan Rice from midfield to cover the substantial gap left by Saliba.
Semenyo quickly outpaced Kiwior and delivered a cross that Raya couldn’t hold onto, allowing it to reach Marcus Tavernier. However, his shot was well saved by the Arsenal goalkeeper.
As the Gunners struggled to maintain their lead, Semenyo fired a shot over the bar from just 10 yards out early in the second half. Soon after, Tavernier’s header narrowly missed its target by inches.
Kepa Arrizabalaga nearly handed Arsenal a goal after his errant pass ended up with Merino, who set up Gabriel Martinelli. However, the Bournemouth keeper redeemed himself by making an impressive save.
In the 70th minute, Bournemouth at last managed to overcome Arsenal’s steadfast defense.
For a change, Arsenal’s proficiency in set-pieces was used against them. Lewis Cook delivered a low corner that Kluivert flicked on, allowing Christie to expertly place his shot into the top corner from 12 yards out.
The Cherries scored once more in the 79th minute when Kiwior’s poor back-pass was intercepted by Evanilson, leading Raya to foul the Brazilian in the penalty area.
Kluivert confidently stepped up and sent Raya in the wrong direction from the penalty spot, leaving Arsenal stunned and incredulous.
