The red card was issued after a review determined that his tackle was deemed reckless, leading to significant debate over the correctness of the decision.
William Saliba was sent off during the Arsenal vs. Bournemouth match for a last-man foul. The French defender was in a race with Bournemouth’s Evanilson when he was deemed to have prevented a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
A misplaced backpass from Leandro Trossard left Saliba trailing behind Evanilson, and while trying to recover, Saliba pulled him down. Referee Rob Jones initially issued a yellow card, but after a VAR review, it was upgraded to a red.
The Premier League Match Centre explained the decision on X (formerly Twitter), stating that VAR determined Saliba denied an obvious goal-scoring chance, prompting the on-field review that led to the red card.
Saliba is now the third Arsenal player this season to be sent off, following Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard. Mikel Arteta has voiced his frustration over officiating decisions affecting his team, as both Rice and Trossard received second yellow cards for kicking the ball away in previous matches.
Howard Webb, head of PGMOL and former Premier League official, was present at the Vitality Stadium, and Arsenal fans chanted at him following Saliba’s dismissal.
Arsenal’s only league failures to win this season have occurred in matches where they played with ten men. In response, Arteta substituted attacker Raheem Sterling for defender Jakub Kiwior to bolster his defense.
