Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season as a red card to William Saliba proved decisive in a 2-0 Premier League loss to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side, previously unbeaten in 10 matches across all competitions, saw their run come to an abrupt end under controversial circumstances. Arsenal’s Saliba was initially booked for a professional foul on Evanilson after 30 minutes, but the decision was upgraded to a red card following a VAR review, leaving the Gunners to play with 10 men for the rest of the match.
Despite a resilient effort, Arsenal’s defense finally cracked in the 70th minute when Ryan Christie opened the scoring for Bournemouth. Justin Kluivert then sealed the win with a penalty in the 79th minute after Jakub Kiwior’s errant back-pass led to David Raya fouling Evanilson in the box.
The loss was a significant blow to Arsenal, who missed the chance to go top of the Premier League and will now face title rivals Liverpool next weekend without the suspended Saliba. If Liverpool win against Chelsea on Sunday, Arsenal could find themselves four points behind by the time they face the Reds.
The Gunners struggled to find their rhythm, with the absence of injured forward Bukayo Saka noticeable in an unusually sluggish performance. Arsenal will aim to bounce back when they face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.
This defeat marks only the second time Arsenal have lost to Bournemouth in their history, delivering a setback to their hopes of winning their first Premier League title since 2004.