Last season, Arsenal had mastered the art of defence. An impenetrable backline which conceded the fewest number of goals and kept the most clean sheets across the Premier League.
This time around, thus far, Mikel Arteta’s men have focused on a different vocation: shooting one’s self in the foot.
William Saliba’s sending off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity — he tugged back Evanilson, who was chasing an awful Leandro Trossard back pass — continues a trend of ill-discipline.
A trend that is gradually denting a title bid which has so much promise otherwise.
It was a third time in eight league matches in which an Arsenal player has received a red card. Declan Rice was dismissed for delaying the restart against Brighton, which they drew 1-1, while Trossard was sent off in the 2-2 draw at Manchester City for also kicking the ball away.
Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season against Bournemouth on Saturday
William Saliba was shown a red in the first half for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity
Behind the scenes, Arteta has discussed with his players about discipline. He and they know it is a problem that needs fixing.
In fact, positive results have masked the fact that the north London club are susceptible to dismissals. The failure to take a point at the very least on Saturday, which they managed against Man City and Brighton, has further magnified the matter.
Since Arteta became Arsenal manager on December 20, 2019, the Gunners have received 18 red cards — the most across the league. Wolves and Everton are joint-second with 13.
Reigning champions Man City have just had nine dismissals. That is a stark difference and a problem.
When asked whether he wanted more from his players on the pitch, Arteta replied: ‘More with 10 men? Well I don’t know what more we can do when you have to play away from home in this league. It’s hard enough to do it with 11 so what we’ve done with 10 is quite remarkable.’
This ignores the result. Playing with 10 men undoubtedly makes the task at hand much harder.
It was a third time in eight league matches in which an Arsenal player has received a red card
For those first 28 minutes, Arsenal did not look bad and were starting to make inroads with Mikel Merino in an unusually advanced position at the tip of the midfield and Trossard making incisive runs from the left channel.
Though the Gunners did not adapt well to the circumstances. Going a man down should not automatically dictate the forthcoming result.
Arsene Wenger certainly did not think so. Under Wenger, in the 76 league games Arsenal had a player sent off, he achieved 32 wins, 20 draws and 24 losses.
For the 17 such games in Arteta’s tenure, that has resulted in three wins, seven draws and seven losses.
Looking ahead, Arteta now has to contend with filling a gaping hole in the backline for rivals Liverpool next weekend. Jakub Kiwior, who came on for Raheem Sterling to shore up the defence after Saliba’s sending off, had a game to forget.
His weak back pass to David Raya was intercepted by Evanilson, the striker felled by the goalkeeper and awarded a penalty which Justin Kluivert scored.
Mikel Arteta’s men must improve their discipline if they are to get their title bid back on track
Arteta made his feelings known by giving him the double substitution treatment, replacing him with Gabriel Jesus straight after.
So that leaves Arteta likely needing to slot in one of his full backs, particularly Riccardo Calafiori or Jurrien Timber if fit, as a centre back.
Whichever way he lines up, it is ill-discipline which is the root cause of Arsenal’s woes — and needs eradicating immediately if they are to get their title bid back on track.
