Arsenal’s long unbeaten away streak came to a shocking end with a loss to Bournemouth, and the aftermath of the defeat has stirred up plenty of debate among the supporters and media, with much of the blame being directed towards William Saliba’s costly foul. The Arsenal centre-back was sent off for denying a scoring opportunity, a decision that caused significant uproar among fans and pundits alike.
Saliba was initially shown a yellow card, but VAR intervened, overturning the decision and issuing a straight red card. This call wasn’t well received by some, while others felt it was justified. However, former Manchester United defender and Premier League champion Gary Neville took a different view, pointing to Leandro Trossard’s backpass as the true source of the chaos.
Gary Neville criticises Leandro Trossard
On his podcast, Neville stated, “I thought it was the right decision in the end. It was a long way from goal, but the goalkeeper, I think, speaking to Mike about it before, actually, once the goalkeeper starts to backpedal, there is an acceptance that he is not getting the ball, and then you know that striker is going to get there. So I think that’s the problem. I mean, the mistake from Trossard is a bad one; maybe it hasn’t been talked about enough; the pass back.”
Neville ultimately agreed that Saliba deserved to be sent off but emphasised that more attention should have been given to the Belgian’s careless backpass, which allowed Evanlinson to be through on goal.
Arteta has a big decision To make
While Saliba’s dismissal was for a ‘professional foul’ rather than serious misconduct, it’s a relief for Mikel Arteta that his prized defender will only miss one match; however, that match is against none other than league leaders Liverpool, a team with a potent attack and one that will likely look to exploit Arsenal’s weakened defence.
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Regardless of who made the initial mistake, Arteta faces a crucial decision as he prepares for the high-stakes clash at the Emirates this weekend. With Saliba out, Arsenal’s backline will need careful reshuffling, and Arteta will need to make the right choices as his team continues their title race.
