Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya is sent the wrong way from the penalty spot by Bournemouth striker Justin Kluivert(Image: (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images))

Unseen Ryan Christie moment in Bournemouth vs Arsenal proves Mikel Arteta right on £30m transfer

The Gunners lost to Bournemouth at the CVitality Stadium but there were plenty of talking points

20 Oct 2024, 12:00 by Lee Wilmot · football.london

Arsenal were beaten for the first time in the Premier League this season on Saturday as they lost 2-0 at Bournemouth. It was another case of a red card hitting the Gunners hard.

For the third time this season the Gunners were reduced to ten men, and just like the other two matches, the result they held at the time of the dismissal was downgraded thereafter.

Draws with Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City happened after leading both games and going down to ten men. At the Vitality Stadium Arsenal were goalless against the Cherries and went on to suffer a 2-0 reverse after William Saliba's red card.

With City and Liverpool to play on Sunday Mikel Arteta's men could find themselves three and four points behind the other title challengers respectively once the Premier League weekend is over. It could very well be a chastening weekend in the title race.

Individual mistakes hurt the Gunners against Bournemouth, with that Saliba decision to pull back Evanilson proving costly, as was a huge Gabriel Martinelli miss before the Cherries struck first.

Then to make matters worse, substitute Jakub Kiwior played a woeful backpass to David Raya, who then brought down Evanilson to hand the home side a penalty. Justin Kluivert converted to secure all three points.

But there was an unseen moment before the penalty was taken that pointed to Arteta's impressive work with the Gunners in the last couple of seasons.

Arteta made the bold choice to bring in Raya from Brentford in the summer of 2023, initially on loan for £3million, with the deal then being made permanent this summer for £27million. It caused controversy because Arteta already had Aaron Ramsdale as his number one.

But over time that decision to oust Ramsdale and insert Raya as the Gunners' number one has been vindicated, with the Spaniard proving himself time and time again to be adept not just with his hands, but with his feet too - so important for Arteta.

Raya did endure a difficult afternoon on the south coast, making a couple of mistakes that went unpunished. But he hauled down Evanilson to hand Kluivert the oppotunity from the spot. Kluivert duly convereted, but there was one Bournemouth player who did not look particularly confident.

Replays showed that Ryan Christie, scorer of the first Bournemouth goal, had his hands on his head as Kluivert stepped up from 12 yards. Christie may well have seen what Raya has done from the spot in the past, having already saved a penalty against Atalanta in the Champions League this season, to be concerned about the outcome. Or just the fact that the Cherries have already missed from the spot this season, with Evanilson being denied by Robert Sanchez against Chelsea.

Either way, Raya missed out this time, but Arteta's transfer call of 2023 has been vindicated and then some already.

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