It wasn’t the weekend Arsenal had dreamed of following their defeat to Bournemouth.
The Gunners’ unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end at the Vitality Stadium but they will need to bounce back quickly ahead of a big week. The north London side face Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League before hosting other Premier League title contenders Liverpool on Sunday.
They will be tasked with overcoming Arne Slote’s side without the services of William Saliba following his red card against the Cherries. Whether the Frenchman deserved to be sent off was the subject of much debate after the game.
Still, Arsenal cannot afford to give their opponents any more advantages, and Mirror Football takes a look at some of the biggest stories coming out of the Emirates.
Posted by Thomas Partey
Thomas Partey echoed his manager’s comments, urging Arsenal to learn from their mistakes after William Saliba was shown a red card before the defeat to Bournemouth.
This is the third time the Gunners have dropped points with ten men in the Premier League this season, with Arteta imploring his team to remain disciplined and Partey agrees.
“We have to learn from our mistakes and not allow them to be repeated,” he said. “We work hard, we try to win our duels and sometimes things like this happen. We have to stick together because games can result in red cards and we have to learn from every mistake.
“When there are 11 players on the pitch, we dominate the game.”
Dressing room verdict on Arsenal defeat
Jamie Carragher believes the Liverpool and Manchester City dressing rooms would have been given a boost by Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth, even at this early stage of the season. The former Reds defender suggested ahead of Liverpool’s game against Chelsea that there were already three teams left in the title race.
“It’s a bit like last season when three teams were fighting for the title,” he told Sky Sports. “If you were Man City or Liverpool then City and Arsenal would react the same way to Liverpool’s loss to Forest.
“When you’re fighting for the title and you lose a game you didn’t expect, it gives energy or excitement, maybe from Anfield or City, what if you get three points to score Arsenal when they play each other?” team who are, as expected, mid-table.
“It’s bad to lose to someone you shouldn’t be losing to. This will give Man City and Liverpool a boost.”
Fans of title rivals Arsenal, however, were unhappy with the decision, with one protesting: “Silva touched Sa.” This action clearly means that it “clearly compromised the opponent’s ability to play the ball” and Stones’ late goal should therefore have been disallowed. Is it wrong to wonder how this decision would have been made had Arsenal been involved?”
A second added: “If it had been Arsenal the goal would have been disallowed.” A third said: “That’s clearly offside. Bernardo Silva pushed GK just before the header and was offside when Stones took the header.
It comes after Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season against Bournemouth. The Gunners lost 2-0 after William Saliba was sent off in the first half. And Arsenal star Declan Rice complained to referee Rob Jones after the game.
Rice told Jones: “It’s the same thing every week” and the red card was the third time an Arsenal player has been sent off in just eight games. However, Rice was far more cautious when asked about the incident in a post-match interview with Sky Sports.
“We’ve kicked ourselves in the foot three times in eight games and got away with it, at home against Brighton and away against Manchester City,” he said. Bournemouth continued to test and made it 2-0. I’m proud of the players who fought even if there are ten, but naivety, we have to stop making mistakes because you need 11 players for 90 minutes and that’s what wins your football games.
“Ten of us showed a lot of character and personality to stay in the game. Martinelli had a great chance and the goalkeeper recognised it and made a great save and a minute later, this is usually our habit where we are so strong, it was our undoing.
“We must not make any silly mistakes. You need all your best players on the pitch at all times. The belief is so great and we will stick together. That’s football, no matter what happens, the most important thing is to stick together and keep going in the right direction.”