Every word Mikel Arteta said on William Saliba red card, VAR and Bournemouth loss

Did the game change on the red card again?

Absolutely. We are very disappointed with the result and gutted because we had to play in that context again. Even more difficult than the previous two that we have faced this season to do it with 65 or 68 minutes with 10 men at this level, it’s just an impossible task. It’s an accident waiting to happen not to get the points. I cannot fault the team for their effort, their commitment, to play in the way we had to do it. There was a big moment at 0-0 when we have a one-vs-one with the ‘keeper and we don’t manage to score. Then in the other end we do that.

We have to (look at) ourselves. Tonight we made two big errors that cost us the game unfortunately.

What did you make of the red card?

It was a decision made on the pitch. That decision was changed. I don’t think it will change twice. The decision has been made.

How do you resolve the issue of getting so many reds?

There are things that we have discussed in relation to certain topics. What happens today is almost unpredictable – that the winger is going to play the ball to the centre back one touch, and it’s going to be a challenge there with 40 or 35 meters to go.. Very difficult to plan it. But certainly we need to play with 11vs11 if we want to be in the position that we want to be.

How big are small margins in these kinds of games?

Yeah but obviously they have the best intentions. Willy has never done anything like this and he doesn’t do it on purpose. Or what happened with the second goal. But it happened. Unfortunately we couldn’t turn it around which is very unlikely that often for the third time in the season. We got away with it twice – the situation was a bit different because we were already ahead in the result. But we have to accept it. Move on and have that pain for Tuesday. That’s it.

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Did you expect more from your team’s performance?

In the first part or second part?

Second part…

More with 10 men? I don’t know what more we can do when we have to play away from home in this league. It’s hard enough doing it with 11 men, so what we’ve done with 10 I think was quite remarkable.

Are you surprised Saliba made the decision to bring Evanilson down?

I don’t know, it’s a split-second decision you have to make. The striker is on his back and he doesn’t expect the ball to suddenly be coming his way. He just made a decision, that’s it. The referee decided to give a yellow and then a red card.

It doesn’t sound like you’re going to appeal the red card, you’ll just accept the decision?

A decision has been made, so that’s it.

Aside from the decisions, it wasn't your best performance this season. How much of that was down to missing Odegaard and Saka?

I cannot assess a performance when you play for 65 minutes with 10 men away from home. It’s impossible.

How do you bounce back from a tough result like this?

Using the pain we are feeling at the moment for Tuesday, that’s the way to do it. Not feeling sorry for yourself ‘Oh it happened again’ ‘It happened three times in eight matches’ ‘We are missing our captain and one of our best players (Saka) and Jurrien’. That’s not going to take us anywhere. Leave the energy. These boys deserve it because of the way they try and how they want it. Go again on Tuesday and that’s it.

Do you think VAR should have intervened?

I don’t know. They have their own process, they decided to do it that way. That’s it.