Arsenal suffered an unexpected 2-0 loss to Bournemouth, marking Mikel Arteta’s first defeat of the season across all competitions. Defender William Saliba received a red card in the first half, forcing the Gunners to play with ten men for more than an hour.
This incident marked Arsenal’s third red card this season, following Declan Rice’s dismissal against Brighton and Leandro Trossard’s contentious red against Manchester City. Each of these decisions has fueled discussions among fans, who believe the team has faced unfair treatment from referees.
Rice was heard expressing frustration to the referee, indicating that Saliba’s red card, like those of Rice and Trossard, was unwarranted. Nonetheless, he admitted that the team has also made mistakes complicating their efforts. “We’ve shot ourselves in the foot three times in eight games. We were fortunate against Brighton and City, but Bournemouth took advantage,” Rice commented. “I’m proud of the players for their determination, but we need to avoid such naivety. You need all 11 players for 90 minutes to secure victories.”
Former Arsenal player Theo Walcott pointed out a significant error by the Gunners against Bournemouth, suggesting it was more harmful than Saliba’s red card.
While there may be questions about the red cards given to Rice and Trossard, Saliba’s dismissal was clear-cut after he brought down a Bournemouth player as the last defender.
With three red cards in eight Premier League matches, Arteta and his coaching staff face a worrying trend. In the three games where players were sent off, Arsenal has earned only two points from a possible nine. To compete with teams like Manchester City, they need to reduce these mistakes.
Pundit Jamie Carragher has even proposed a conspiracy involving Saliba’s red card and referee Howard Webb.