In a stunning turn of events at the Vitality Stadium, Arsenal’s unbeaten run this season came to a crashing halt with a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth, largely influenced by William Saliba’s first-half red card. The Gunners, who had been flying high with a 10-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, faced a frustrating afternoon on the south coast, where VAR intervention played a key role in their downfall.
Arsenal started the match with hopes of extending their unbeaten run and potentially claiming the Premier League’s top spot, but those ambitions were quickly dashed. Saliba’s red card, following a reckless challenge on Bournemouth’s Evanilson, saw the Gunners reduced to 10 men just after the half-hour mark. Initially shown a yellow card for the foul, referee Rob Jones was advised by the VAR team to review the incident, leading to the decision being upgraded to a straight red.
Despite Arsenal’s efforts to hold on with a man down, Bournemouth seized control in the second half. The breakthrough came in the 70th minute when Ryan Christie latched onto a flicked corner to fire Bournemouth into the lead. Arsenal, rattled and unable to respond, then conceded a penalty just nine minutes later. Justin Kluivert confidently converted from the spot, securing all three points for the home side and leaving Arsenal with their first taste of defeat since April.
The loss was a bitter blow for Mikel Arteta’s men, who will not only be disappointed with the result but also face the prospect of being without key defender Saliba for their upcoming clash with title rivals Liverpool. To add to their woes, the absence of Bukayo Saka, who was sidelined with an injury, clearly affected Arsenal’s attacking rhythm throughout the match.
As the Gunners lick their wounds and prepare for their Champions League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, they will need to regroup quickly, especially with a critical Premier League match against Liverpool looming.
