Arsenal saw their unbeaten start to the season brought an end yesterday as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth.
Arsenal were below par from the first whistle, and were the architects of their own downfall on the south coast.
William Saliba’s first half red card put Mikel Arteta’s side at a disadvantage. The manager’s team selection has also come under fire. Arteta was slammed by Arsenal fans over his use of Ethan Nwaneri.
The Hale End academy scarlet was not introduced to the fray until late in the game, with the North London outfit already 2-0 down. Whilst the 17-year-old was able to add some energy and attacking intent, it was too little, too late.
Arsenal lined up with a very defensively-minded midfield trio at the start of this game. Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, and Mikel Merino were all cast together in the middle of the park. This selection offered plenty in terms of physicality and experience, but the Gunners suffered from a lack of guile and creativity.
Merino was far from his best whilst making his first start for the club, and Partey was able to make no real impact in the final third. However, whilst his teammates crumbled around him, Rice was able to stand up and be counted.
Declan Rice offers silver lining for Arsenal against Bournemouth
Amidst a dismal Arsenal display, punctuated with critical errors from the likes of Saliba, Leandro Trossard, and Jakub Kiwior, and underwhelming performances elsewhere on the pitch, Rice was able to catch the eye.
The 25-year-old tried to play forward and make things happen, and offered some steel in the middle of the park.
The stats tell the full story of his performance. As shared by analyst Statman Dave on X: “Declan Rice completed 100% of his take-ons, won 100% of his tackles, won 90% of his duels & completed 87% of his passes against Bournemouth. A very impressive showing in tough circumstances.”
The England international needed more help from his teammates than he was granted in this game, but he can still hold his head high after his efforts.
Declan Rice sends out Arsenal rallying cry
Rice spoke to the media after the final whistle on Saturday, and admitted that standards have slipped at Arsenal recently, particularly with regard to their disciplinary record.
Rice was praised by Theo Walcott for his comments, as the former Arsenal winger felt that the midfielder had spoken in an honest and “refreshing” manner.
The rest of Arteta’s squad must take heed of the former West Ham United man’s words. If the Gunners are to become Premier League champions this season then they cannot allow this dreadful result to translate into a poor run of form and must bounce back immediately against Liverpool next time out in the Premier League.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
