Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the Premier League ended on Saturday with a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, marking their first loss of the season. Mikel Arteta’s side struggled, as costly defensive errors led to both of Bournemouth’s goals.
The first mistake came when Leandro Trossard’s unusual back pass to William Saliba caused the defender to panic, resulting in a foul and a red card. Later, Jakub Kiwior’s under-hit back pass gifted Bournemouth a penalty, compounding Arsenal’s woes.
Critics pointed out Arteta’s conservative tactics, which seemed to limit Arsenal’s attacking potential even before the red card incident. The Gunners managed only one shot on target throughout the match, highlighting their lack of creativity in front of goal. Defensive lapses and their struggle to create clear scoring chances ultimately led to their defeat.
Addressing the performance, Arteta said, “We are obviously very disappointed with the result and gutted because we have to play again in that context. This time was even more difficult than the previous two we faced this season. Playing for 65 or 68 minutes with 10 men at this level is just an impossible task. It’s an accident waiting to happen, not to get the points. I cannot fault the team for their effort, their commitment, how intelligent they are to play in the way that we have to do it.”
Reflecting on the turning points in the match, he added, “There is a big moment at 0-0 when we have a clear chance, one-on-one with the keeper, but we fail to score. At the other end, we make costly mistakes. We have to take responsibility for that. Football is a game where errors are part of it. Unfortunately, tonight we made two big errors that cost us the match.”
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