Bournemouth vs Arsenal: Saliba sees Red as Saka-less Gunners suffer title blow against Cherries

Bournemouth earned a well-deserved 2-0 in against 10-man Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium to hand Mikel Arteta's men their first defeat of the campaign.

Bukayo Saka's absence was felt as Arsenal struggled to find rhythm in the opening 25 minutes at Bournemouth. However, the game's complexion changed when William Saliba was sent off on the half-hour mark. Initially given a yellow card for fouling Evanilson, VAR intervened, and Saliba received his first-ever senior red card.

Mikel Arteta adjusted by sacrificing Raheem Sterling, but Bournemouth capitalized on their numerical advantage. The Cherries created several chances, with David Raya denying Antoine Semenyo's near-post strike.

After the break, Bournemouth remained on the front foot. Semenyo missed a golden opportunity, blazing the ball over from inside the box.

Andoni Iraola's triple substitution paid off when Justin Kluivert set up Ryan Christie for the opener, and he smashed a side-footed strike into the top-left corner with 20 minutes left.

The win was sealed when Raya fouled Evanilson, allowing Kluivert to double Bournemouth's lead from the spot.

Arsenal suffered their first away Premier League defeat of the year, and Saliba's dismissal means they face Liverpool next weekend without their best defender.