Arsenal endured a frustrating afternoon at the Vitality Stadium, as they take a 2-0 loss against Bournemouth where defensive lapses complemented by William Saliba’s red card proving critical as Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert found the back of David Raya’s net, marking Arsenal’s first loss of the season.
And Jakub Kiwior’s shaky performance is adding to Mikel Arteta’s concerns.
The match takes a critical turn just before halftime when Leandro Trossard’s wayward back pass left Saliba scrambling to stop Evanilson and a desperate challenge earns him a yellow card, which VAR later upgrades to a red, leaving the Gunners down to 10 men for the second half.
Kiwior performance raises questions about Arsenal’s depth
Arteta introduces Kiwior to shore up the defence, but the Polish defender had a loss of focus during the conclusive moments of the game when the Polish defender mishits a back pass intended for goalkeeper David Raya, allowing Evanilson to capitalise and win a penalty after being brought down by the Spaniard which was calmly converted by Kluivert, securing a two-goal cushion for Bournemouth.
Former Premier League defender Danny Gabbidon criticises Kiwior’s error on BBC Radio 5 Live, stating, “It’s really poor from Kiwior. His pass back leaves Raya exposed, and Evanilson pounces. You can’t make these kinds of errors at this level, especially when you’re down to 10 men.”
Kiwior is substituted shortly after Bournemouth’s second goal, with Gabriel Jesus entering the fray in an attempt to salvage something from the game. However, Arsenal’s depleted side fails to find a way back, despite Gabriel Martinelli coming close, only for Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto to deny him.
Can Arsenal overcome defensive issues against Liverpool?
Post-match, Declan Rice acknowledges the team’s defensive frailties, expressing frustration with the repeated mistakes. “We’re shooting ourselves in the foot three times in eight games.Today is another example. We need to cut out the naivety, especially when we’re down to 10 men.”
With Saliba now suspended for upcoming game against Liverpool, Arteta faces a dilemma in central defence and Kiwior’s struggles raise questions about his ability to step up in the absence of Arsenal’s defensive leader. The Spaniard needs to consider options like shifting Ben White into a central role or relying on Gabriel Magalhães to anchor the backline alongside a less experienced partner.
As Arsenal prepare for a crucial match against league leaders Liverpool next week, Arteta must quickly find solutions to solidify his backline with their title challenge on the line, Arsenal will need to show resilience and depth to cope with Saliba’s absence.
