Arsenal suffered their first league loss of the year on Saturday, losing 2-0 to Bournemouth in the Premier League as a result of William Saliba’s red card.
The team led by Mikel Arteta began the season with a 10-game winning streak in all competitions, but that record was broken on the south coast under dubious circumstances. After 30 minutes, Arsenal defender Saliba was sent off for a professional foul on Evanilson. The first call for the foul was a booking, but a VAR review led to the decision to elevate it to a red card. As Ryan Christie gave Bournemouth the lead in the last moments, the Gunners eventually gave up. Arsenal would not lose for the first time since their Champions League quarterfinal second leg loss at Bayern Munich in April thanks to a penalty kick from Justin Kluivert.
It was a cruel blow for Arsenal, who with a win would have taken the top spot in the Premier League. Now, they will have to play championship rivals Liverpool without Saliba, who is suspended, the following weekend. If the leaders overcome Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, third-place Arsenal will be four points behind Liverpool by then. Arsenal’s remarkably listless performance was much below their best, highlighting the significance of injured forward Bukayo Saka, who was sidelined during England’s loss to Greece the previous weekend. On Tuesday, they take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League in an attempt to recover.
Arsenal’s first game under Arteta’s leadership ended in a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium in December 2019. Since then, the Gunners have advanced significantly as a result of the Spaniard’s transformation into consistent title contenders. But their attempt to capture an English crown for the first time since 2004 was severely hampered by losing to Bournemouth for just the second time in their history.
Arsenal’s slump
When Arsenal returned to action following the international break, they had trouble getting into a groove. In the thirty-first minute, a poor ball from Leandro Trossard left Saliba stumbling to catch Bournemouth striker Evanilson, encapsulating their misery. Halfway through the Arsenal half, Saliba gave an agitated tug that left the Brazilian flying, and Rob Jones had to show a yellow card. The French centre back’s denial of a goal-scoring opportunity infuriated Bournemouth, and their protest was heard when VAR official Jared Gillett instructed Jones to enhance his verdict to a red card.
Despite Saliba’s injury, Raheem Sterling’s cross to Mikel Merino saw his shot ripple into the sidenetting, giving Arsenal a chance to take the lead. Following David Raya’s deflection of Antoine Semenyo’s close-range shot, Arteta countered by bringing on Poland defender Jakub Kiwior and shifting Declan Rice from midfield to cover the large gap left by Saliba. Semenyo beat Kiwior right away after Raya spilt his cross to Marcus Tavernier, but his shot was well stopped by.
Early in the second half, Semenyo blasted over from only 10 yards as the Gunners attempted to hold on, and Tavernier’s header narrowly missed. After Kepa Arrizabalaga’s misdirected ball to Merino set up Gabriel Martinelli for an almost goal for Arsenal, the Bournemouth goalie made up for it with a fine save. In the seventieth minute, Bournemouth eventually broke through Arsenal’s unwavering defence.
Christie’s excellent finish into the top corner from 12 yards came about after Kluivert flicked on Lewis Cook’s low corner, turning Arsenal’s expertise in set pieces against them for the first time. In the 79th minute, Raya took down the Brazilian in the penalty area after Kiwior’s awful back ball was intercepted by Evanilson, giving the Cherries another goal. Arsenal was left stunned as Kluivert stepped up to send Raya the wrong way from the spot, leaving them in amazement.
