Playing with one less player for an hour after William Saliba's dismissal, Arsenal succumbed in their visit to Bournemouth (2-0), who surged into the mid-table thanks to the strategy of their coach, Andoni Iraola, key in overcoming one of the candidates to compete for the Premier League alongside Manchester City and Liverpool. The Spanish coach delivered a masterclass in management, unsettling his opponent from the outset with suffocating pressure and making perfect substitutions in the second half that made the difference with the entries of Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert. 

Saliba’s early exit from the field marked a balanced match until the half-hour mark when the 'Gunners' central defender had to leave the pitch after a VAR call led referee Robert Jones to send him off for bringing down Evanilson in a clear goal-scoring opportunity. This action, caused by a poor backward pass from Leandro Trossard, was decisive for Mikel Arteta’s men, who went from seeking the first goal to defending against a well-organized Bournemouth from the start of the match.

With ten players, Arsenal had to push themselves even harder to try to earn something positive from the Vitality Stadium. Arteta made three changes from his last match and sacrificed his most persistent player up to that point, Raheem Sterling, to bring on Kiwior. Although Sterling troubled Bournemouth from the right wing, it was Mikel Merino who had the clearest chance before halftime, but his left-footed shot from inside the box missed the target.

Meanwhile, Semenyo was crucial in Bournemouth's attack, constantly breaking down the left flank. In the 36th minute, he nearly opened the scoring with a strike that was deflected by David Raya. Later, following another of his runs, he delivered a cross that the Arsenal goalkeeper managed to save at the last moment from a close-range shot by Tavernier. Arsenal managed to survive the first quarter of an hour with one player less, but the second half promised to be complicated, requiring them to withstand pressure and seek a miracle.

Arsenal's resistance lasted until the 70th minute, when Ryan Christie scored the first goal, complicating Arteta's team's options and finishing off a well-crafted set-piece play by Iraola. The goal came at a crucial moment, just after a mistake by Kepa that nearly cost a goal. A minute later, Christie scored again, this time from the penalty spot, after a foul on Evanilson, another gift from Arsenal that sealed Bournemouth's victory. 

Saliba’s expulsion was too much of a blow for Arsenal, who could not manage the game with ten players against a rival that displayed great prowess.