October 19, (THEWILL) – AFC Bournemouth stunned Arsenal FC in a 2-0 win in the English Premier League at home on Saturday. The Vitality Stadium victory was a significant boost for the Cherries, who capitalised on Arsenal’s reduced squad and a crucial red card.
Arsenal, already missing key players, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, due to injuries, faced further setbacks when defender, William Saliba, received a straight red card in the 30th minute. The dismissal came after a VAR review upgraded his initial yellow card for a foul on Bournemouth’s Evanilson.
Ryan Christie broke the deadlock in the 70th minute with a well-executed goal. The 29-year-old midfielder drilled the ball into the top corner after receiving a flick from fellow substitute Justin Kluivert off a low corner kick. This goal marked a turning point in the match, putting Bournemouth ahead.
The Cherries extended their lead seven minutes later when Arsenal goalkeeper, David Raya, committed a foul on Evanilson inside the penalty area. Kluivert stepped up to take the resulting penalty kick, successfully converting it to double Bournemouth’s advantage and effectively seal the victory.
This defeat ended Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the 2024/2025 EPL season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
