Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert dealt 10-man Arsenal their first Premier League defeat of the season as Bournemouth triumphed 2-0 on Saturday.
William Saliba received his marching orders on the half-hour mark for denying Evanilson a goalscoring opportunity, giving the hosts a glorious opportunity for an upset at the Vitality Stadium.
And midway through the second half, Bournemouth took that chance, with Christie breaking the deadlock in the 70th minute before Kluivert doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.
That calmly taken spot-kick ensured Arsenal could not salvage a result to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign as the Gunners came up short on a frustrating day for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners stay third, missing the chance to go top with Liverpool and Manchester City not playing until Sunday, while Bournemouth moved up to 10th after collecting their third win of the season.
We are decent pic.twitter.com/i9Xu1tW2lu
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) October 19, 2024
Data Debrief: Cherries halt Arsenal’s unbeaten start
Arsenal were one of just two unbeaten sides left in the Premier League going into the weekend, but a lacklustre performance on the south coast has taken that tally to just one.
Despite not showing much of a threat at the start, the game turned with Saliba’s sending-off – in his 93rd appearance for Arsenal in all competitions, he received his first red card.
But do not let that take away from Bournemouth’s second-half showing. Kluivert both scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the first time, while each of his last four goals have come at the Vitality Stadium.