Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season against Bournemouth on match day eight of the Premier League.
The Gunners went to the Vitality with the hope to go top of the Premier League table with a win however, it was the hosts who claimed three points.
Bournemouth won 2-0 on the night, with two second-half goals handing the Cherries a well-earned victory, taking advantage of Arsenal’s lacklustre approach.
Mikel Arteta’s side were far from their best although, matters weren’t made easier by William Saliba’s sending-off in the first half.
Will Arsenal appeal William Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth?
After just 30 minutes played, Saliba saw red as VAR overturned the on-field decision of a yellow card for fouling Evanilson.
The on-field call was upgraded to a red card as the challenge was seen as the denial of a goalscoring opportunity, with the Frenchman being the last man as the striker charged through on goal.
There was great controversy from the sending-off as the foul occurred close to the halfway line, drawing attention to the Premier League’s rule book which takes into account the distance between the offence and the goal.
Still, Saliba saw red and picked up a one-match ban, with Arteta shedding light on whether the club will appeal the card.
“I leave that more to the club,” Arteta said in his press conference.
“I understand the circumstances and as well other examples that are very clear in the same position and they will have to decide it.”
If Arsenal do not appeal or, if the card is not overturned, Saliba will be absent for the Gunners’ duel with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
Liverpool example key to Arsenal red card appeal
Arsenal will not want to face the current league leaders without their prized centre-back, making an appeal tempting for the club.
Based on Arteta’s response, it could be that Arsenal provide evidence comparing Saliba’s offence to others that happened on match day eight, as Liverpool’s duel with Chelsea saw an identical passage of play unfold.
- READ MORE: Arne Slot shares William Saliba red card verdict as Arsenal defender will miss Liverpool clash
Tosin Adarabioyo dragged down Diogo Jota just after the halfway line when the Liverpool striker was hoping to run in on goal, seeing the Chelsea defender pick up a booking.
The decision of a yellow card stood, which left Arsenal fans perplexed as the foul was incredibly similar to the one that Saliba was dismissed over.
It will be interesting to see if the Gunners do formally question the decision, and what the outcome of a possible appeal would be.
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