Missing out on the chance to climb to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday evening, Arsenal slumped to a shock 2-0 loss away at Bournemouth.
Struggling to find any real kind of fluidity in the final third, things got even tougher for Mikel Arteta’s title contenders as William Saliba was shown a straight red card after dragging down Evanilson on the half-hour mark.
While Arsenal might have arrived at the Vitality having not suffered a single defeat across any competition since opening up the new campaign, it was Bournemouth who dominated large spells after returning from the half-time interval.
Watching Scotland international Ryan Christie sweep home following an intelligent set-piece routine, the Cherries doubled their advantage just nine minutes later as Justin Kluivert converted from the penalty spot.
With both Manchester City and Liverpool not set to feature until Sunday, Arsenal will be more than aware that they missed out on what was billed as a golden opportunity at the Vitality.
On an evening when Arsenal suffered a maiden Premier League defeat of the season, we have taken a look at the main talking points from the South Coast.
The Gunners seeking defensive stability
While Arsenal might have made a heavyweight Champions League statement earlier in the month as they collected a 2-0 win against French icons PSG, it is no secret that the Gunners are seeking some much-welcomed defensive steel.
Despite heading into October’s international break with a 3-1 victory against leading relegation candidates Southampton, Arteta’s side have failed to record a single clean sheet from any of their previous five domestic appearances across all competitions.
Likewise, the Gunners have also conceded a pair of goals in back-to-back Premier League showdowns away from the Emirates for the first time over the past 18 months.
Failing to register consecutive domestic clean sheets for the first time since the middle of August, Arsenal will…
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Author : Tom Dunstan
Publish date : 2024-10-20 09:30:26
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