Declan Rice was seen telling referee Robert Jones ‘every week it’s the same’ after Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s side have suffered another early stumble in the title race as a well-worked corner routine saw Ryan Christie put Bournemouth ahead in the second half before Justin Kluivert sealed the win from the penalty spot.
Arsenal were reduced to 10 men in the first half when William Saliba was sent off for bringing down Evanilson when the Bournemouth striker would have been through on goal.
This is the third time Arsenal had a man sent off in the Premier League this season following Rice’s controversial red card against Brighton, while Trossard saw red in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Rice was seen complaining to the officials after Arsenal’s first defeat in the Premier League this season but speaking in his post-match interview, the midfielder conceded that mistakes from his own teammates were ultimately to blame.
‘We’ve kicked ourselves in the foot three times in eight games and we got away with it at home to Brighton and away at Manchester City. Bournemouth kept probing and made it 2-0,’ Rice said.
‘I’m proud of the players for fighting, even with 10 men, but the naivety, we need to stop making mistakes because you want 11 players for 90 minutes and that’s what wins you football matches.
‘With 10 men we showed a lot of character and personality to stay in the game. The big chance was Martinelli’s and the keeper read it and made a great save and one minute later, normally a routine we are so strong at, has done us.
‘We can’t make silly mistakes. You need all your best players on the pitch at all times. The belief is so high and we will stick together. This is football, whatever happens the most important thing is that you stick together and stay in the right direction.’
Arteta also admitted his team ‘made life very difficult for ourselves again’ due to the red card.
‘A very sad evening, very disappointed with the result, it was a really tough context again,’ Arteta said.
‘It’s hard enough to play here 11 against 11, we made life very difficult for ourselves again, playing for 60-70 minutes with 10 men but I cannot fault the effort of the players, how much they wanted, how much they tried.
‘But in this league, it’s the third time it’s happened in eight games, it’s just an accident waiting to happen, it’s too difficult.
‘It’s very difficult because obviously you haven’t planned for that, especially that early, so any solution, especially with the amount of injuries we have in certain positions becomes tougher. But we tried, and it’s unbelievable, the spirit and the work rate and how the boys tried to do it.
‘We understood it better and better, we didn’t really concede nothing apart from one action at the start of the second half and with 0-0, we had the biggest moment in the game when Gabi [Martinelli] is one on one with the goalkeeper and we didn’t manage to score the goal and in the other end, we concede a set piece.’
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