Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has acknowledged that his team must take responsibility for their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth, citing costly mistakes made during the match.
The defeat, Arsenal’s first of the season, came as a result of goals from Ryan Christie and Evanilson, who capitalized after William Saliba was sent off in the first half for a professional foul.
Saliba’s red card was the result of a poorly executed pass from Leandro Trossard, which left the French defender in a difficult position. Arteta also pointed out that Gabriel Martinelli missed a key chance in front of goal, calling it another critical error that contributed to the loss.
Reflecting on the match, Arteta expressed his disappointment. “We are obviously very disappointed with the result and gutted because we had to play again with ten men,” he said, referring to Saliba’s dismissal. “This time it was even harder than the previous two situations we faced this season.”
Arteta emphasized the challenge of playing for an extended period with a man down, describing it as an “impossible task” at the top level of football. “Playing for 65 or 68 minutes with ten men at this level is just an impossible task. It’s an accident waiting to happen, not to get the points,” he said.
Despite the loss, he did not fault the players’ effort or commitment, commending their intelligence in trying to adapt to the situation.
One of the game’s pivotal moments came when the match was still scoreless, as Martinelli missed a one-on-one opportunity with Bournemouth’s goalkeeper. Arteta saw this as a crucial turning point. “There is a big moment obviously with 0-0 when we have a big opening, one against one with the ‘keeper. We don’t manage to score and at the other end, we do that.
We have to fault ourselves,” he explained, emphasizing that missed chances and mistakes on both ends of the pitch were the root cause of the defeat.
The Arsenal manager was also clear about the role of errors in football, noting that “football is a sport where errors are part of that.” He admitted that his team made two significant mistakes that ultimately cost them the match.
Although Saliba’s red card was a major factor in the loss, Arteta was measured in his assessment of the defender’s actions. He chose not to be overly critical of Saliba, acknowledging the difficulty of making split-second decisions during the heat of play. “It’s a split-second decision you have to make,” Arteta said, describing the situation. “The striker is on his back. Obviously, he doesn’t expect the ball suddenly to be coming his way. He just made a decision and that’s it.”
Arteta confirmed that Arsenal would not appeal the red card decision, which was upgraded from a yellow after a VAR review. “That decision was changed and now the decision is not going to change twice,” he stated. “We have to accept it, move on, and have that pain that we are feeling at the moment for Tuesday [against Shakhtar Donetsk].”
Despite the disappointment, Arteta’s focus is now on preparing his squad for the upcoming Champions League fixture. He stressed the importance of moving past the loss and ensuring that the team is ready to face Shakhtar Donetsk, while also dealing with the consequences of Saliba’s suspension.
