Arsenal’s struggles exposed by Hargreaves – What went wrong against Bournemouth?

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Former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has identified a key issue with Arsenal in their recent matches.

He also pointed out that only Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhães “performed adequately” during Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta’s team delivered another disappointing performance as Viktor Gyökeres’ penalty equalized Junior Kroupi’s early goal, and Alex Scott scored the decisive goal for Bournemouth in the 74th minute at the Emirates Stadium.

This loss leaves Arsenal still nine points clear at the top of the Premier League. However, Manchester City now have two games in hand and will face the Gunners next Sunday.

Arteta continues to face criticism over Arsenal’s style of play and their inability to create multiple clear-cut chances in matches.

“They [Arsenal] did not play with confidence,” Hargreaves remarked to Premier League Productions.

“I attended the match, and the crowd was highly enthusiastic at the start, but by the end, they were dissatisfied with what they witnessed.

“The only players who performed adequately were Declan Rice and Gabriel; the others were thoroughly outplayed.

“Bournemouth, by the way, were exceptional; they relentlessly pressured Arsenal.

“Arsenal struggled to maintain possession, frequently resorting to long balls, and they passed back to the goalkeeper a staggering 39 times during the match, with David Raya recording the second-highest number of passes among Arsenal players.

“They effectively invited Bournemouth to press them, and that press is arguably one of the most effective in the Premier League, but it caught Arsenal off guard, and they rightfully earned the victory.

“I believe the most significant issue is that they have been outplayed in three of their last four matches – against City in the Carabao Cup final, Southampton in the FA Cup, and today.

“They secured a win against Sporting, but David Raya was one of their standout players in that match, making several crucial saves, indicating a concerning trend of being outplayed.

“They have exerted tremendous effort to reach this stage, but they must complete the task. Today, they exhibited a lack of courage, belief, and a bit of determination.”

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