Did Arteta’s tactics contribute to Arsenal’s defeat at Bournemouth? | OneFootball

William Saliba’s last-man tackle against Bournemouth saw him pick a red card, which forced Arsenal to play with ten men for the third time this season. Indeed, each time our Gunners found themselves playing with ten men, they’ve ended up dropping crucial points. They forced draws against Manchester City (2-2) and Brighton (1-1); they hoped to avoid defeat against Bournemouth, but the Cherries secured a 2-0 victory.

Though one might place all of the blame on Saliba’s red card, don’t you think coach Mikel Arteta’s decisions also contributed to the loss?

The decision to overlook a creative mind like Ethan Nwaneri and start without a natural creator, instead playing three DMs in Mikel Merino, Declan Rice, and Thomas Partey, ensured that our attackers would struggle from the start.

Having already played WITH 10 men before THIS SEASON, Arteta and his technical bench should have had an idea of how to handle the situation. Certainly, not every team you play with a red card requires a deep block. At times, it’s necessary to display bravery and attack; Arsenal didn’t demonstrate that against Bournemouth, treating the Cherries with such respect that they had every reason to believe they could deny our Gunners all 3 points.

Furthermore, the matchday squad should not have included Martinelli if he was not match-fit. Given his availability and match fitness, he should have started and withdrawn at some point. Even if he wasn’t 100% fit, Saka would have started if he was available, as should Martinelli.

The Brazilian was quite influential after his introduction and arguably had the best opportunity to score throughout the game; had he done so, the Gunners would have had no trouble holding on to their lead.

Aside from his side picking a red card, surely Mikel Arteta’s decisions didn’t help his team in that game.

Darren N

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