10 Duels Won, 100% Dribbles, 7 Recoveries: 25y/o Star Was Arsenal’s Best Player Against Bournemouth Yesterday

Arsenal experienced their first loss of the season, falling 2-0 to Bournemouth away from home.

Arsenal entered the Premier League match as the favourites, but in the early minutes, they struggled to create any clear scoring chances, partly due to the absence of Bukayo Saka, who was out with an injury.

Their situation worsened in the 30th minute when William Saliba was sent off for denying Evanilson a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Leandro Trossard contributed to this with a poor back pass that led to the situation.

Around the 60-minute mark, Gabriel Martinelli missed a crucial one-on-one chance, and the miss proved costly as Ryan Christie scored shortly afterward, putting Bournemouth ahead.

The Cherries doubled their lead later in the game from the penalty spot. Jakub Kiwior’s weak back pass towards David Raya resulted in a foul on Evanilson, giving Bournemouth the chance to convert from the spot.

It was a tough night for Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium, and Declan Rice managed to put in a solid individual performance despite the team’s overall struggles.

Declan Rice Stats vs Bournemouth

The England international was impressive, winning 10 out of the 11 duels he contested and successfully completing 100% of his dribbles (3/3).

At 25 years old, he registered 68 touches and achieved a pass accuracy of 87%. Additionally, he made seven recoveries and created two chances during the game.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Magalhaes and Mikel Merino also delivered relatively strong performances alongside him.

Raheem Sterling appeared to be Arsenal’s most potent attacking threat during the first 30 minutes. However, he was surprisingly substituted after Saliba was sent off, which drastically altered the game’s momentum.

Despite the loss on the South Coast, Arsenal remains third in the standings. However, they could drop to fourth if Chelsea secures a win against Liverpool at Anfield based on goal difference.

Furthermore, the gap at the top could widen to four points if Liverpool defeats Chelsea. Manchester City also have the opportunity to establish a three-point lead over Arsenal.

In other news, Premier League Issue William Saliba Statement After Declan Rice Comment