Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes took a hit after their 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday, and Alan Shearer has issued a stern warning: improve discipline or risk falling short once again.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners entered the 2024/25 season with ambitions of ending their two-decade title drought, following two consecutive years as runners-up. However, after just eight games, they are already losing ground to title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, both of whom are in action today (Sunday) against Wolves and Chelsea, seeking vital points.
Arsenal’s first loss of the season came against Bournemouth, adding to a string of setbacks that included draws against Brighton and City. The common thread? Red cards in each game. Shearer believes that unless Arsenal clean up their act, their title chances will continue to fade.
William Saliba was the latest Arsenal player to be sent off during the defeat at the Vitality Stadium. Leandro Trossard’s errant back-pass left Bournemouth’s new striker Evanilson one-on-one with Saliba, who pulled him down. Initially shown a yellow, Saliba’s foul was upgraded to a red after VAR review for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Down to 10 men, Arsenal couldn’t hold off Bournemouth, with goals from Ryan Christie and a Justin Kluivert penalty sealing their fate.
Saliba, one of Arsenal’s key defenders, will now miss their crucial top-of-the-table clash with Liverpool. Shearer emphasized that Arsenal’s discipline issues are self-inflicted, even if fans feel they’ve been unfairly treated by some decisions.
“It can’t continue,” Shearer told BBC Sport. “It has to change. They’re not going to get enough points if it doesn’t. You’ve seen the games – two draws and this defeat, all because of red cards.”
Arsenal’s red card woes have been pivotal in dropping points this season. In a thrilling 2-2 draw against Manchester City, Leandro Trossard was sent off in the second half for delaying a restart, and John Stones equalized for City in the dying minutes. Earlier in the season, Declan Rice was sent off during a 1-1 draw with Brighton for a similar offense after giving Arsenal a lead, further contributing to their disciplinary struggles.
Midfielder Rice admitted the team’s mistakes are costing them dearly. Reflecting on the Bournemouth defeat, Rice told Sky Sports, “We’ve kicked ourselves in the foot three times in eight games. We’ve got away with it twice – at home to Brighton, away to Man City – but luck doesn’t always go your way.”
He continued, “I’m proud of us for fighting with 10 men, but we need to stop making silly mistakes. We want 11 players on the pitch for 90 minutes, and that’s what wins football matches. We can’t keep making these errors. You always need your best players out there, and red cards just make it harder for the rest of the team.”
If Arsenal hope to stay in the title race, avoiding further disciplinary mishaps will be crucial, especially with key players like Saliba now sidelined at a pivotal moment in the season.
