Mikel Arteta gives two-word verdict on William Saliba VAR controversy at Bournemouth

Arsenal were forced to play much than 45 minutes with 10 men against Bournemouth aft William Saliba's yellowish paper was upgraded to reddish pursuing a VAR check

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted his squad can't bash thing astir William Saliba's reddish paper against Bournemouth, accepting a determination has been made.

Saliba was dismissed conscionable fractional an hr into the match aft bringing down Bournemouth striker Evanilson. The centre-back was initially shown a yellowish card, but referee Rob Jones upgraded it to reddish aft rewatching the incidental connected the VAR monitor.

Bournemouth took vantage of the other antheral to triumph 2-0 astatine the Vitality Stadium, though it took them until the 70th infinitesimal to bash so. Ryan Christie broke the deadlock aft a astute country routine, and Justin Kluivert doubled his team's pb from the punishment spot aft different foul connected Evanilson.

Not lone did the reddish paper outgo Arsenal connected the day, but it could person deeper repercussions with Saliba suspended for adjacent weekend's crippled against Liverpool. Speaking aft the match, Arteta was a antheral of fewer words erstwhile it came to the incidental itself.

"It's precise hard to triumph successful the Premier League with 10 men for 60-70 minutes, it's conscionable an mishap waiting to happen," Arteta told Sky Sports. "We person had to spell done it successful 3 games and that outgo america the game.

"We had the large accidental and the infinitesimal successful the crippled to people and person a antithetic effect and past we conceded a goal. We effort to instrumentality to the rules. The 3 [red cards] person been antithetic ones and 3 precise antithetic outcomes."

On the taxable of the reddish card, helium said: "The determination has been made. It was made connected the pitch, past it was changed connected the pitch, present they're not going to alteration it truthful determination made." When asked if helium agreed with the decision, helium simply repeated the words "decision made"

Did William Saliba merit his reddish card? Have your accidental successful the comments section

The Premier League Match Centre relationship issued an explainer of the incident connected societal media. "The referee gave Saliba a yellowish paper for a situation connected Evanilson. The VAR deemed that Saliba denied an evident goal-scoring accidental and recommended an on-field review. The referee past upgraded the yellowish to a reddish card," their station read.

Despite the reddish card, Arsenal showed antiaircraft spot and threatened to stun their opponents lone for Kepa Arrizabalaga to prevention good from Gabriel Martinelli. Moments later, Bournemouth had a pb which they wouldn't relinquish.

"Sometimes erstwhile a squad spell a antheral down they tin commencement playing well, similar [Arsenal] did astatine [Manchester] City," Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook told Sky Sports aft the game. "But we created the chances needed to triumph the game. We cognize we privation to beryllium objective arsenic each extremity successful this league is massive.

"Arsenal are truthful compact. You deliberation of them arsenic an attacking squad but they tin adapt. We matched them contiguous and got the win."

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