There was plenty of controversy in Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
Arsenal were reduced to ten men in the first half after William Saliba was sent off. The Cherries were then handed the chance to wrap up their win from the penalty spot after David Raya was adjudged to have brought down Evanilson.
Saliba was shown a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, as he tugged back Evanilson before the Bournemouth striker could latch onto a ball that would have seen him with a one-on-one against Raya.
Referee Robert Jones initially only showed the French centre-back a yellow card, but that was upgraded to a red after a VAR review.
Whilst Arteta will have been frustrated by these decisions, there was little that either Saliba or Raya could do, having both been played into trouble by their Arsenal teammates Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior, respectively.
However, there was one Arsenal player who was entirely at fault for the caution he received.
Why Mikel Arteta will be angry with Ben White after Arsenal loss
With 68 minutes on the clock, and the score still level at 0-0 at that stage, Arsenal right-back Ben White was booked for time wasting as he took too long to take a throw in.
Arteta’s players have a nasty habit of time wasting and delaying restarts, and have been punished for it on numerous occasions this season, much to their own cost. Raya was also disciplined on international duty for time wasting.
Declan Rice and Trossard have both been sent off this season for delaying restarts, against Brighton and Manchester City, respectively. The Gunners have now been reduced to ten men on three occasions this season, and have failed to win any of those matches.
White’s yellow card shows that the Gunners aren’t learning their lesson, and the fact that it came at a stage in the game when his side had no lead or anything to defend makes it all the more egregious.
Not only are Arsenal making the same mistakes, but having been reduced to ten men against Bournemouth, their instincts were to become too cautious, as exemplified by White’s antics. This lends credence to Roy Keane’s attack on Arteta’s “dinosaur” tactics.
What must change at Arsenal after Bournemouth lesson
Arsenal have to stop making the same mistake and finding themselves punished for the same offence over and over again. If Arteta can’t get a handle on his side’s disciplinary issues then it will derail the club’s entire campaign.
The likes of White, Raya, Rice, and Trossard must also ensure that they do not repeat their error, and the rest of the squad have to be wary of the fact that Arteta cannot afford to have to contend with any more suspensions.
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