Bournemouth 2 Arsenal 0: Ten-man Gunners stunned as they drop points in title race after defeat to brilliant Cherries

IF Arsenal continue to shoot themselves in the foot, they will have no legs to stand on in this Premier League title race.

And the question now arises: do they have the discipline to topple Manchester City?

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For the third time in eight Prem games this season, the Gunners were forced to play the majority of a 90-minute match with 10 men after an unnecessary red card.

This is also the second time this has happened in the first half. Talk about making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself.

On the previous two occasions, Mikel Arteta’s men salvaged a point – and probably should have earned more – after controversial dismissals for delaying the restart against Brighton and Man City.

But the same couldn’t be said on the south coast against Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth.

William Saliba’s 30th-minute sending-off – confirmed by VAR after referee Robert Jones was asked to look at the monitor after initially giving a yellow – was fair, and also comical, as he audaciously and stupidly dragged Evanilson down right in his own half as last. man.

Often just as good on the road – unbeaten in their previous 12 in 2024 – the visitors were unable to find a response as they huffed and puffed their way to a deserved first defeat of the season.

Ryan Christie finally broke the deadlock in the 70s^th minute, and nine minutes later another uncharacteristic error – this time by David Raya – gave Justin Kluivert a 12-yarder to end the game.

Arteta’s boys are City’s biggest threat to a fifth title, but at the moment seem more determined to throw it away than to end this run with a first Prem trophy for 20 years.

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The blow before kick-off was the absence of Bukayo Saka – clearly still not due to a slight hamstring strain picked up for England on international duty last week.

It was only the fourth time the Three Lions star has missed a Prem match since the start of the 2021/22 campaign – and only the third game in all competitions since December 17.

But there was good news elsewhere. Doubts over Gabriel Martinelli, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Thomas Partey and Ben White have been put to rest with their inclusion in the squad.

For Arteta, it was a return to a stadium where he took charge of his first game for the club on Boxing Day 2019 – an ugly 1-1 draw to kick off his tenure in uninspiring style?

Five years later, and a bit of déjà vu? Arteta would have hoped days like these were behind him and his team, who are now constantly fighting for major honours.

But when you always have a red card at the start of the match, these kinds of miserable contests are always around the corner.

Arteta unleashed a team that had nine of 11 six feet and above, including a mammoth midfield of Partey, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino on his first Prem start.

On paper, this trio should steamroll the opposition, but that never materialized in the first 20 minutes. Arsenal were clumsy, loose in possession and lacked the attacking intent to unlock a well-drilled Iraola side.

Neglect was creeping in. Raya’s fainting was short and Alex Scott pushed Antoine Semenyo to rush into the stands.

Speaking of sloppy, Leandro Trossard’s 27^th A minute of deflected back pass had Saliba scrambling and Evanilson pounced, only to have his arm dragged and twisted before hitting the deck.

The French defender, the smoothest player, experienced a rare moment of brain death, guilt instantly written across his face.

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And even when Jones issued a yellow, that naughty schoolboy look remained, surely knowing that VAR would step in to turn his nightmare into a morning shower.

Yes, it was a foul about 45 yards from goal, but it was nonetheless a clear denial of a scoring opportunity, which would never have been recovered by Saliba’s other defenders.

The image of PGMOL chief Howard Webb sitting on his phone in the stands, listening to the Stockley Park dialogue, did little to placate the outside world.

Instead, they chanted, “F**k Howard Webb” before serenading Saliba with their singing to the tune of the Latin pop hit “Tequila.”

Arteta wouldn’t have been blamed if he had decided to dump a bottle of the stuff right then and there in the dugout. Instead, wisely, he removed Raheem Sterling for Jakub Kiwior.

Arsenal player ratings vs Bournemouth

By Alex Crook

TEN-MAN Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season as brilliant Bournemouth handed them a reverse on the south coast.

The Gunners traveled to face Andoni Iraola’s men having won five and drawn three of their opening eight matches this season.

But their task became tricky when William Saliba received a red card on the half-hour mark.

Ryan Christie brilliantly gave the hosts a deserved lead after a well-worked set-piece routine with 20 minutes remaining.

Justin Kluivert then sealed his team’s incredible 2-0 victory from the penalty spot in the 79th minute.

Here’s how SunSport rated each Gunners performer on the day.

DAVID RAYA – 5
I was lucky to escape with a poor rear-end fade early on. Righted another mistake by saving smartly with his legs to deny Marcus Tavernier after first spilling a Semenyo cross-shot before clumsily conceding the penalty.

BEN WHITE – 4
The excluded England were back in the team after four games but did not look 100 per cent fit and struggled to contain the lively Antoine Semenyo on the Bournemouth left in the first half and Dango Ouattara in second.

WILLIAM SALIBA-3
Usually calm and collected under pressure, but paid the price for a rare moment of panic when he brought down Bournemouth striker Evanilson to get himself sent off and will miss next weekend’s crucial clash at home as a result against title rivals Liverpool.

GABRIEL – 5
Given the captain’s armband in the absence of Bukayo Saka, struggling, but not at his best, especially after losing his central partner Saliba. He didn’t really rise to leadership.

RICCARDO CALAFIORI – 6
Did a better job of containing Semenyo when the dangerous Bournemouth player switched wings at half-time than White did in the first half, but was unable to have his usual influence at future.

THOMAS PARTEY – 5
Back in his traditional central midfield spot after being used as an emergency in the 3-1 win over Southampton. Finished second to Bournemouth’s impressive Lewis Cook.

DECLAN RICE – 5
Another member of Arsenal’s international contingent who looked sluggish after his national service break. He struggled to establish himself in the game in midfield and was unable to get forward as much as he usually does. He did his part in the background after Saliba was sacked.

RAHEEM STERLING – 4
The former England man was deployed on the right wing in place of the injured Bukayo Saka and gave the ball away on several occasions while in promising positions before being sacrificed after Saliba’s red card.

MIKEL MERINO – 5
Finally able to make his full Premier League debut after an injury-affected start to his Arsenal career and showed some nice touches. He also fired into the side net with the visitors’ best opening in the first half.

LÉANDRO TROSSARD – 4
He started the game well, but sold Saliba short with a poor back pass which led to the red card and then disappeared from the action before being substituted shortly after the half hour mark.

KAI HAVERTZ-5
The German was isolated up front, especially after Arsenal were reduced to ten men, but worked tirelessly for the team without ever looking like adding to his goal streak in the four previous matches, all competitions combined.

SUBSTITUTES
Jakub Kiwior (for Sterling, 37) – 4

Gabriel Martinelli (for Trossard, 64 years old) – 5

Gabriel Jesus (for Kiwior, 81) – N/A

Ethan Nwaneri (for Merino, 81) – N/A

Unlike the first moments of the first half, the chances presented themselves before the break.

Semenyo and Marcus Tavernier missed good openings after Raya’s breakaway, while Merino fired an effort wide from 10 yards.

Arsenal were unchanged at the break, their away form giving them the impression they could see this one through.

That confidence vanished almost instantly when Semenyo missed a keeper from six yards with a teasing delivery from Dango Ouattara.

These title races are often defined by moments.

Saliba’s red card will probably be one, as will Gabriel Martinelli who will inflate his lines with a one-on-one, failing to convert the gift offered by Kepa’s wayward pass.

Two minutes later Bournemouth punished them – Christie crashing over from distance from a short, clever corner routine, really rubbing against their set-piece-loving opponents.

By the time Raya hit Evanilson in the box following a shocking back pass from Kiwior, no one was surprised. Arsenal’s heads were gone and their invincibility was shattered.

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