Basque curse for Arteta? Arsenal's rare defeat in numbers

It was a day to forget for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta as they went down to a 2-0 defeat at AFC Bournemouth. Here are some of the remarkable stats that came from a stunning result.

It was only the second time that Bournemouth had beaten Arsenal in the Premier League, losing 11 of their past 14 meetings. Their only previous win over the Gunners came in January 2018, a 2-1 victory.

As well as it being Arsenal’s first league defeat of the season, leaving Manchester City as the division’s only unbeaten side this season, it was their first away loss in the league of the calendar year. Their previous loss on the road had come at Fulham in December 2023.

Overall they have lost only two league matches all year. Their only other defeat came at home to Aston Villa in April.

In both encounters, by coincidence the opposing manager has been from the Basque region of Spain (in Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Villa’s Unai Emery).

The defeat came after Arsenal defender William Saliba was sent off in the 30th minute. It was the Frenchman’s first red card in 157 league appearances in England and France. It was his 93rd Premier League match.

It was Arsenal’s third red card of the season after only eight matches. That is more than the two sending-offs they suffered in the past two campaigns.

The last time that Arsenal had had so many red cards in their opening eight matches was 2011/12.

But since Arteta's first game in charge of Arsenal, on Boxing Day 2019, the Gunners have been shown 18 red cards in the Premier League, at least five more than any other side.

While the red cards have not helped, Arsenal’s previously imperious defence has shown some creaks of late.

They have conceded at least two goals in three of their last four Premier League games, after having done so just twice in their previous 22 matches in the competition prior to this run.

For Bournemouth, it was the first time they have beaten a side in the top half of the Premier League in 2024 - their last such victory came against Manchester United in December.

Their win over Arsenal was achieved with the help of a rare goal from Ryan Christie. The Bournemouth substitute scored only his second-ever Premier League goal, and his first in 68 appearances, with his previous coming against Leicester City in October 2022.

Another Bournemouth sub proved crucial to the victory. Justin Kluivert had only six touches of the ball after coming on in the 63rd minute but within those touches, he provided the assist for the opener and scored the second goal from the penalty spot.