Liverpool’s coach has made headlines with his bold claim that the best player in the Premier League is not Cole Palmer, as some might suggest, but a standout Arsenal player. According to him, this particular Arsenal star surpasses even Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior combined in terms of talent and impact.
Meanwhile, Arsenal endured a surprising 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth, marking Mikel Arteta’s first loss of the season across all competitions. The game took a major turn when William Saliba was sent off with a red card in the first half, forcing Arsenal to play with 10 men for over an hour.
This was Arsenal’s third red card this season, following dismissals for Declan Rice against Brighton and Leandro Trossard in a controversial decision during their match against Manchester City. These red cards have sparked conversations among fans, with many believing the team has been treated unfairly by referees.
Rice voiced his frustrations to the referee after Saliba’s red card, suggesting that like his and Trossard’s previous dismissals, it was harsh. However, he also acknowledged that Arsenal has made costly mistakes. “We’ve hurt ourselves three times in eight games. We were lucky against Brighton and City, but Bournemouth took full advantage,” Rice commented. “I’m proud of our fighting spirit, but we need to stop making naive mistakes. You need all 11 players for 90 minutes to win.”
Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott also criticized Arsenal’s performance, noting that a key error during the match was even more damaging than Saliba’s red card.
While there may be debate over the red cards given to Rice and Trossard, Saliba’s dismissal was a clear-cut decision after he brought down a Bournemouth player as the last defender.
With three red cards in their first eight Premier League matches, Arteta and his staff are facing a worrying trend. In those three games, Arsenal has managed to secure only two points out of a possible nine. If they hope to challenge teams like Manchester City, they will need to cut down on these costly mistakes.
Pundit Jamie Carragher even suggested there could be a conspiracy surrounding Saliba’s red card and referee Howard Webb's decisions.