Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 2-0 to Bournemouth on Saturday, largely due to William Saliba’s red card.
Mikel Arteta’s side had maintained a 10-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, but that came to an end in controversial fashion on the south coast.
Saliba was sent off after half an hour for a professional foul on Evanilson, a decision that was upgraded to a red card following a VAR review.
The Gunners struggled to maintain their composure as Ryan Christie scored late in the match to put Bournemouth ahead.
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Justin Kluivert added a second from the penalty spot, marking Arsenal’s first loss since their Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich in April.
This defeat was particularly disappointing for Arsenal, who could have gone top of the Premier League with a win.
Instead, they now face title rivals Liverpool next weekend without the suspended Saliba, and they will be four points behind if Liverpool defeats Chelsea on Sunday.
Arsenal’s performance was notably below par, emphasizing the absence of injured forward Bukayo Saka, who had been forced off during England’s recent match against Greece.
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The team will look to rebound against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.
This loss was a significant setback in Arsenal’s quest for their first league title since 2004.
After the international break, the team struggled to find their rhythm.
A poor pass from Leandro Trossard in the 30th minute led to Saliba’s red card after a panicked foul on Evanilson.
Despite Saliba’s exit, Arsenal nearly took the lead with Mikel Merino’s shot grazing the side-netting.
After some near misses from Bournemouth, Arteta made tactical adjustments, bringing on defender Jakub Kiwior and shifting Declan Rice to fill Saliba’s void.
However, Bournemouth finally capitalized in the 70th minute.
Lewis Cook’s low corner found Kluivert, who flicked it on to Christie, who scored a well-placed shot into the top corner.
The Cherries struck again in the 79th minute when Kiwior’s poor back-pass was intercepted by Evanilson, leading to a penalty after a foul by goalkeeper David Raya.
Kluivert converted the penalty, leaving Arsenal in disbelief.
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