Arsenal Suffer First Defeat Of The 2024/25 EPL Season
Mikel Arteta’s side received their first blow to the season with an unfortunate 2-0 loss at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth in Saturday’s EPL game. The Gunners have enjoyed a run of ten games unbeaten since the start of the season, and twelve since the pre-season loss to Arsenal as only the second team to have such an impressive record in Europe’s top five Leagues’ alongside Italy’s Juventus.
The return from the second International break of the season was an eye-opener for the Gunners who were expected to emerge victorious from their travel to the South Coast. The Cherries who have had a rollercoaster of seasons since returning to the top flight have struggled to replenish similar success in the 2024/25 season with their talisman Dominik Solanke leaving for Spurs in the summer. The Cherries who had all players fit for the fixture prepared fully for the game through the international break (none or less representation) have to be rewarded for their efforts with a victory over the Gunners. William Saliba’s early red card was the game-changer for Andoni Iraola’s men who muscled their way through the second half to steal all three points.
The Gunners were without Kieran Tierney (Thigh Injury), Bukayo Saka (Knock), Jurrien Timber (Muscle Injury), and captain Martin Odegaard (Ankle injury) on their trip to the Vitality stadium as Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino were in the starting line-up. Thomas Partey returned after being cleared for fitness and partnered with Declan Rice who returned from suspension. Mikel Arteta’s side dominated the game in the first twenty minutes but faced a disciplined Bornemouth’s high press play. David Raya made the first dreadful mistake in the game, almost giving away a goal to the Cherries. Thankfully, Antoine Semenyo was wasteful in front of goal.
The trajectory of the game changed in the 30th minute when Real Madrid target - William Saliba cleverly fouled last man Evanilson, who still had the whole half to traverse in pursuit of a loose ball in Arsenal’s defense. The French defender who had a terrible international break with his home country continued to see favours turned in his side as his team would suffer for the mistake later on. It took a pitch-side review for referee Robert Jones to honor VAR’s request and replace the initial yellow card shown for the challenge with a red.
The Gunners have survived games against Manchester City and Brighton this season with ten men and might have had the advantage minutes later when Mikel Merino’s shot from Marcos Sensi’s poor defensive header hit the side netting. Arsenal with a man down, tried to hold it down for a few minutes but it became clear that Mikel Arteta's side couldn’t continue to play offense without a standard fullback to support Gabriel Magalhaes. Raheem Sterling had to make way in the thirty-seventh minute for Jakub Kiwiour to hold the scores going into the break.
The second forty-five minutes came with more drama, as the Cherries came prepared and energized to milk their advantage and move into the top half of the table. Mikel Arteta’s team knew what was at stake and would have planned to hold it down for the rest of the game with a possible upset like they had done with the games at the Etihad and Emirates last month. This outcome remained far-fetched, with Bournemouth holding down their defense line while pressing Gunner’s back.
Antoine Semenyo continued to cause problems for the Arsenal backline but failed to put the home side ahead on multiple occasions. Substitute Gabriel Martnelli was close to winning a goal for the Gunners with a brilliant counter-attacking play only to see his effort brilliantly saved by Chelsea’s loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga. Things got worse for the North London side when substitute Ryan Christie hit an unstoppable shot into the top right corner from Justin Kluivert’s pass to put the Cherries in front. Minutes later, the Gunners were penalized for a clumsy foul on Evanilson in the box, this time David Raya was the defaulter, stopping the Brazilian striker who was carelessly marked by Kiwior from going around him. Justin Kluivert stepped up to convert from the penalty spot to add salt to Arsenal’s wounds.
If anything, the biggest lesson learned from Arsenal’s defeat on Saturday’s game would be the ill-discipline of players that have cost them crucial points since the start of the season and would obviously be a problem for their title hopes if not properly addressed by Mikel Arteta. Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice have previously been sent off this season with the Englishman’s sentence overturned by the EPL board after a successful appeal. Due to its severity, William Saliba’s red card offense might be difficult to appeal. The Premier League penned a statement explaining why William Saliba was sent off against Bournemouth on Saturday.
"The referee gave Saliba a yellow card for a challenge on Evanilson. "The VAR deemed that Saliba denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and recommended an on-field review. The referee then upgraded the yellow to a red card."
This means William Saliba will be unavailable for the clash against Liverpool next week, adding more problems for Mikel Arteta, who has relied on his services at defense for the longest time.
Declan Rice has commended his teammate's efforts throughout the game and demanded Arsenal cut out their re-occurring mistakes during the post-match interview. "We've kicked ourselves in the foot three times in eight games and we got away with it at home to Brighton and away at Manchester City. Bournemouth kept probing and made it 2-0. I'm proud of the players for fighting, even with 10 men, but the naivety, we need to stop making mistakes because you want 11 players for 90 minutes and that's what wins you football matches.”
"With 10 men we showed a lot of character and personality to stay in the game. The big chance was Martinelli's and the keeper read it and made a great save and one minute later, normally a routine we are so strong at, has done us. We can't make silly mistakes. You need all your best players on the pitch at all times. The belief is so high and we will stick together. This is football, whatever happens, the most important thing is that you stick together and stay in the right direction."
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE GUNNERS
After a disappointing 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League, Arsenal will look to bounce back and refocus on upcoming fixtures across various competitions. Here are their next matches:
Sunday, 27th October (Premier League: Arsenal vs Liverpool – 16:30)
Wednesday, 30th October (Carabao Cup: Preston North End vs Arsenal – 19:45)
Saturday, 2nd November (Premier League: Newcastle United vs Arsenal – 12:30)
Wednesday, 6th November (UEFA Champions League: Inter Milan vs Arsenal – 20:00)
Sunday, 10th November (Premier League: Chelsea vs Arsenal – 16:30)
Saturday, 23rd November (Premier League: Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest – 15:00)
Tuesday, 26th November (UEFA Champions League: Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal – 20:00)
Saturday, 30th November (Premier League: West Ham United vs Arsenal – 17:30)
ARSENAL TICKETS ARE UP FOR GRABS!
Available Arsenal Tickets are currently in high demand. Get yours swiftly from secondary ticket marketplaces before they are all gone. Explore seat maps, and compare prices to secure your ideal spot for a beautiful experience. The upcoming Arsenal games will be demanding, but if anything, Mikel Arteta’s team has shown they are up to the challenge and will fight till the very end to secure a much-needed silverware. Secure your tickets and be part of the Gunners journey in the 2024/25 season.
