For once, an act of indiscipline by one man that Arsenal could not quite make amends for with the obduracy of 10. The third red card of their season so far, all of which have come before the 50th minute, brought about their first defeat, a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth that ended an unbeaten top flight road streak in 2024.
Arsenal have somehow thrived without their creative focal point over the last month and a bit. They even made you think in the first half hour that they could scrape by without Bukayo Saka too. Take William Saliba out of the mix with an hour to go -- Leandro Trossard compelling his team mate to choose from a string of unpalatable options with one clumsy back pass -- and it just became too much for Mikel Arteta's side, quelled in the closing quarter of a scrappy occasion.
On a slow rolling pitch and with the visitors struggling to get any propulsion into the penalty area, with half an hour on the clock it seemed that this would be a game decided by a mistake. That certainly proved to be the case. Leandro Trossard, whose clumsiness had sent Arsenal down to 10 men at the Etihad Stadium last month, totally shanked a back pass from his own half in the direction of David Raya.
If Saliba had had a moment to think he might have concluded that nothing could be worse for his side than an hour without their star center back today and the full 90 without him against Liverpool next week. Ben White was covering; even if he didn't make it Saliba can give up plenty of ground to forwards and still recover possession. Even if Evanilson had scored, at 11 vs. 11 Arsenal could get two, no?
There was no time to assess his options though. Saliba stuck out an arm. Rob Jones' initial assessment was a yellow. VAR Jared Gillett suggested he take another look. Two and a bit months of the Premier League season played. Two and a half hours where Arsenal have been a man light.
For an instant you could sense those Etihad muscles twitching. Off came Raheem Sterling, whose slight technical decline in recent years has come alongside a vertiginous drop off in his good fortune. Bukayo Saka's injury affords him a chance to start, he creates his side's best chance of the first half, but still has to pay the price because the guy on the other flank undercooked a pass. Jakub Kiwior adjusted impressively, but a handful of chances came Bournemouth's way. Raya was sprightly to make amends after spilling a cross in the first half before Antoine Semenyo blazed over early in the second.
In truth, Arsenal were nothing like as cautious as they had been in clinging on against Brighton, let alone Manchester City. They will know that battling points when a man down are not as valuable a title race commodity as they were in the pre-Pep age. The Gunners were prepared to go for it. Gabriel Martinelli's introduction almost brought an immediate reward, but having given the ball away, Kepa Arrizabalaga made amends with a strong left hand.
Moments later the goal came as you suspected it might in this tight, attritional encounter: a set piece. No towering Gabriel header this time though. Instead, Bournemouth kept it on the deck, Lewis Cook rolling the ball to the near post and Justin Kluivert flicked it back to the edge of the box, where Ryan Christie was charging forward to hit the sweetest of strikes beyond Raya.
Any hopes of some Reiss Nelson-esque fightback were extinguished before too long. Jakub Kiwior, who had looked ill at ease from the moment he was thrust in as the right center back, undercooked a back pass. Evanilson beat Raya to the ball, got the knock and won the penalty. Kluivert converted.
A first away league defeat in 2024 for Arsenal it was. Given the circumstances that probably should not be a cause for any great crisis. After all, they were without their best midfielder and forward even before their best defender exited the fray. Any ground they lose to Liverpool this weekend can be made up next Sunday. Arsenal remain firmly in the mix. Given the difficulties they have inflicted on themselves, that is no mean feat.