Premier League: Bournemouth end Arsenal’s unbeaten start
Bournemouth 2 - 0 Arsenal
Bournemouth ended Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season, with William Saliba receiving the first red card of his career during the match at Vitality Stadium.
Author - William G from GMCR Football
The French defender was sent off within the first half-hour after tripping Evanilson near the halfway line, following a poor pass from Leandro Trossard that left him exposed. It was the kind of scenario Arsenal had already managed to escape against both Manchester City and Brighton, but this time the challenge would last for over 60 minutes.
Arsenal’s resilience eventually crumbled when Ryan Christie scored a brilliant goal, firing into the top corner after a clever corner routine, with substitute Justin Kluivert flicking on Lewis Cook’s low ball into the box.
Kluivert later sealed Bournemouth’s win by confidently converting a penalty nine minutes after Christie’s strike. The spot-kick was awarded when David Raya brought down Evanilson, Bournemouth’s £40 million summer signing.
This victory broke a poor streak for the Cherries, who had lost their last four league encounters against Arsenal by a combined score of 13-2. The result lifted Bournemouth to 10th in the table.
A closer look at what happened
While Saliba’s dismissal certainly influenced the course of the game, Bournemouth – the league’s hardest-working team in terms of distance covered – had made a lively start in front of their home fans, never allowing Arsenal to find their rhythm.
Keen to respond after a disappointing defeat to Leicester City before the international break, Bournemouth were effective in frustrating Arsenal, and Antoine Semenyo sent a warning shot when he fired over following a misplaced pass by Raya.
Although Evanilson still had some ground to cover, he appeared to have a clear path to goal before Saliba’s challenge brought him down. The Frenchman accepted his fate calmly after referee Robert Jones, following a review, upgraded his initial yellow card to a red.
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Buoyed by their energetic start, Bournemouth relentlessly pressed to capitalise on their numerical advantage before half-time, but Arsenal’s defence, reorganised after Raheem Sterling was replaced by Jakub Kiwior, managed to hold firm.
Semenyo had another golden opportunity early in the second half but failed to hit the target. Ultimately, it was a brilliant set-piece that gave Bournemouth the lead, with Kluivert’s assured finish securing a memorable win.
Bournemouth had lost three of their previous four league matches, with manager Andoni Iraola describing the Leicester loss as their first major slip-up. He will now hope this impressive victory can reignite their season.
Arsenal fan reaction
DJ, an Arsenal fan, told us: "The performance might hint at some deeper issues, but for me, it mainly comes down to missing key players like Saka and Ødegaard, and then having to play with ten men for over an hour. That’s on us, but it’s difficult to properly evaluate the team when you're at such a disadvantage for so long.
"We’ve got a quick chance to respond with the Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, followed by Liverpool at home next weekend. That’s the kind of fixture that can really get you back on track. However, the truth is, unless we can keep all 11 players on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, we’re going to struggle."
