Arsenal

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Arsenal have missed four of their past eight penalties in the Champions League, having scored 11 of their previous 12 from the spot beforehand.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Arsenal's performance, external

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Follow all the reaction over here

Nine matches make up Tuesday's Champions League action, with Arsenal and Aston Villa both at home.

• AC Milan v Club Bruges (17:45)

• Monaco v Red Star Belgrade (17:45)

• Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk

• Aston Villa v Bologna

• Girona v Slovan Bratislava

• Juventus v Stuttgart

• Paris St-Germain v PSV Eindhoven

• Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund

• Sturm Graz v Sporting

All kick-off times 20:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Listen to Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk on BBC Radio 5 Live

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Arsenal’s red card problem is already seriously affecting their season. I am not convinced they are suddenly a ‘dirty’ or violent team, even if they are on a run of more reds than anyone else in the Premier League. They have accumulated 18 in the past five years compared with their nearest challengers who are way back on 13!

I reckon it is simply a result of them being more ruthless, more physical and a tad more ‘worldly’ than they used to be. You do not train players to be more cynical or professional - choose your own description here - you just buy players who are more inclined that way. Players that will do whatever is needed to win.

‌This season Declan Rice was unlucky against Brighton, Leandro Trossard was trying and ultimately failing to be canny at Manchester City pretending he wasn’t kicking the ball away and William Saliba was simply determined to stop Evanilson by whatever means necessary at Bournemouth.

‌The outcome is seven points dropped in games after players seeing red. Yes they have to be committed and streetwise but any more defeats because of a player sent to the showers early will not be clever.

In fact, it will be quite the opposite.

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Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

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On and off the pitch, nobody does a meltdown quite like Arsenal.

Taking samples from both the mainstream and social media, Arsenal are apparently no longer title contenders, and Mikel Arteta's job is looking a little less secure.

This is an overreaction.

There is no doubt that Saturday was a vintage meltdown from the Gunners, for whom when it rains, it does seem to pour. Even with 11 men on the pitch, the side looked stunted and hesitant.

Following William Saliba's sending off, it descended into the type of self-destruction mode more reminiscent of the end of Arsene Wenger's era at the club.

Yes, this was an ugly loss, for which Arsenal really only have themselves to blame, but perhaps a more measured take on this would be to remember that the team had not lost a Premier League game for six months. They have been remarkably consistent. Three red cards by the end of October is not befitting of champions, but it is still only October.

What is intriguing about this reaction to Arsenal's loss is how the context of the past few games has also changed.

Just a few weeks ago, the Gunners were praised for grinding out ugly wins against Leicester and Southampton. Fast forward to this week, and those wins are now being viewed in a different way - Arsenal got away with it, and the results have hidden a deeper underlying issue with the team.

In a world where Manchester City are close to a year unbeaten, teams cannot afford an off day. But that does not mean it will not happen, nor that an off day should be conflated to the season being over.

Arsenal will want to put the Bournemouth defeat behind them, but this type of failure is definitely not fatal.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

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William Saliba's straight red for hauling back Bournemouth's Evanlison when clean through on goal means Arsenal have had three players sent off in the opening eight matches of a season for the first time since 2011-12

It follows Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard being dismissed for second bookable offences against Brighton and Manchester City respectively. All three have come in the games the Gunners have not won.

The three red cards are already more than the two Mikel Arteta's side were given across both 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons combined.

Arsenal's most in a complete Premier League season was in 1998-99, when they received seven across their 38 games.

That is not the Premier League record though - the dubious honour of most red cards in a season is nine shared by 2011-12 QPR and 2009-10 Sunderland.

Of course, it is early days but on current pace Arsenal would not only shatter their personal record but also take the overall competition by being handed 14 red cards.

Despite the flurry to start the season, the Gunners' three red cards through eight games are not a Premier League record. Both Liverpool in 2023-24 and Leicester in 1994-95 were shown four inside their opening eight games of the campaign.

There have also been 19 other instances of a team being shown three red cards in their opening eight matches of a Premier League season - including Wolves in 2023-24.

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The panel on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club discussed William Saliba's red card in Saturday's defeat at Bournemouth.

New York Times journalist Rory Smith: "It was a momentary lapse, but I do wonder to what extent being in a title race with Manchester City for Arsenal - who are now going into their third year of being in a title race with City - creates a sort of psychological pressure that you can't drop points at all. It maybe makes mistakes like that and more panicky moments more likely, because everything seems so intensely pressurised.

"You know what Man City's season looks like, you know at some point they're going to win 15 in a row.

"That means if you're 0-0 against Bournemouth after half an hour - and it's a difficult game because Bournemouth are pretty good - when you suddenly realise Leandro Trossard has played a terrible pass and this player is running past you, maybe you are slightly more likely to stick an arm out and think 'he can't score', rather than even allowing him to get a shot off and hope David Raya saves it."

Ex-Luton winger Andros Townsend: "I think if we're talking at the turn of the year, when City always turn the screw and seem to win 15 on the spin, I'd agree with Rory.

"But at this stage of the season, I don't think Man City are playing a part in the minds of Arsenal."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Arsenal are plotting a move for Brentford's 25-year-old Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo after his impressive start to the season. (Football Insider), external

Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle are interested in Red Bull Salzburg's 20-year-old attacking midfielder Oscar Gloukh. (Caught Offside), external

Arsenal are exploring ways of increasing the capacity of Emirates Stadium. (Times - subscription required), external

Arsenal and Chelsea are monitoring Juventus' 24-year-old Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic. (TBR Football), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Arsenal summer signing Mikel Merino has had a mixed time since signing for the club in a deal that could reach £31.6m but says he is on his way to getting back to his best.

The central midfielder, who got injured in his first training session and missed six games for the Gunners with a shoulder injury, was signed for his physicality, his ability to win duels on the pitch and his experience of winning trophies.

Mikel Arteta has been building a physically imposing team as he looks to compete with Manchester City for the Premier League title and Merino himself has been shocked by the size of his team-mates.

"Yeah, sometimes it is crazy," Merino said.

"I am in the corridors or the training ground just walking, and back at my old club I used to be one of the tallest so everyone was smaller than me and now I look around and everyone is taller than me.

"We look like a basketball team now.

"Football now has changed and now you need a strong team, physicality is key, we need to be the most complete team possible.

"You need the physical aspect, technical aspect, the tactical one, you need to be a total team to achieve big things as we do. It is not only about being tall and big, you need mentality.

"If you are tall and big but don’t go with the 100 per cent intention to win the ball, it's just nothing. The main thing is the mentality and we have that."

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An Arsenal-related question was put to BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty in Monday's Q&A.

Dan asked: Phil, how much of a blow do you think Arsenal's loss to Bournemouth will be for them in the title race? Four points off the top already isn't exactly a good place to be, especially losing Saliba for a few games as well. I'm of the opinion that it's still early days and Manchester City and Liverpool are bound to drop points along the way.

Phil: Hi, Dan. A blow, of course, and we know how tight the margins are in the Premier League title race these days, but we are still very early on in the season and I agree with you, there may just be a little more fluctuation this season.

William Saliba’s suspension for the Liverpool game is a real blow but Arsenal are at Emirates Stadium, still have plenty of quality, and this presents a great chance to bounce right back against a team that is clearly going to be one of their main title rivals.

Read more of the Q&A with Phil and the rest of the day's football news

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Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino says he is receiving a lot of help from the club as he recovers from his shoulder injury and builds his minutes up for the Gunners.

The Spain international, who signed from Real Sociedad in the summer, missed the opening two months of the season after injuring his shoulder during his first training session with the club.

"It was difficult at the beginning as nobody wants to get injured in the first session," Merino said. "When you come here you want to make an impact, you want to prove why they signed you and start building up that confidence and relationship with your team-mates.

"After the injury everybody helped me so much, not only the players but also the staff, the fans as well - I felt the love immediately. That helped me to recover as fast as possible and to build that relationship with the whole team. I feel like right now I’m at a good stage, not at the best one but I’ll get there."

On when fans will get to see that 'best' version of himself, Merino added: "You never know but hopefully soon.

"I still have some things to do at a physical level, at a technical level and at a tactical level as there’s a lot of things different to my old club. It's a process and I'm doing the best I can to speed it up.

"All the staff and the whole club is helping me a lot and hopefully it will be soon."

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Bukayo Saka will be assessed later today to see if he will be available but Martin Odegaard remains side lined.

• Arteta says "it will be close" on whether Jurrien Timber will be in contention as he is returning to group training today after recovering from a muscle injury.

• On the defeat to Bournemouth: "It is about perspective. We want to win in any context but the reality is we made it very difficult for ourselves. Another context is that we have lost one game in six months."

• He said they "need to eradicate" the red cards from their game because they "cannot continue to play with 10 men at this level as the task becomes almost impossible".

• On the three red cards this season: "They are three very different actions. Nothing to do with aggression in my opinion."

• He did not comment on whether the club would appeal William Saliba's dismissal and said those decisions are made by people within the club and not him.

• On a quick turn around for the Champions League: "Defeat is part of the sport so lets move on. Use that pain in the tummy for good and use it tomorrow night."

• On the Gunners' Ukrainian opponents: "I have a lot of sympathy for the situation they are in and for their families and friends. It is remarkable how they have decided to use football in a really powerful way. We will welcome them in the best possible way."

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Since Mikel Arteta's first game as Arsenal manager on 26 December 2019, the Gunners have had 18 red cards.

That is five more than any other team in that time period.

So do Arsenal have a discipline issue following William Saliba's dismissal on Saturday against Bournemouth?

"I would not say it is a lack of discipline, it is more of a blip when you look at how they have acquired those red cards recently," said former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast.

"It is a lapse of concentration more than anything else, so those players really need to switch their focus back on and understand what is at stake.

"When you have a lack of discipline and you go a man down, you make it very difficult for yourself no matter the side you are playing."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Steve: A magnificent performance from the Cherries. Underrated by many, they showed exactly what they are really capable of and took it to Arsenal from the first whistle to the last. The first goal was a beautiful set piece straight off the training ground and plaudits go to Andoni Iraola and his backroom boys. Villa next and they will not treat us as a pushover.

Nick: We always create chances against any other team that we play, but today we were out of the blocks quicker than Arsenal and they were very flat in their play. We just out-played them, simple as that. Well done Cherries.

Rob: Small margins often dictate how a game goes. The sending off worked in our favour and we dispatched Arsenal with ease. A great performance.

Arsenal fans

Jeff: Poor sideways and backwards passing tactics. They got what they deserved; nothing. Arteta needs to realise where the goal is and try to get the ball in it. Dull tactics. If he can't see the obvious he needs to get out of town. You don't win games or titles with cowardly tactics.

John: Abysmal to be honest, even with 11 we didn't look like winning. The red card, that wasn't, just confirmed that we would lose the game. We have struggled against so called lesser opposition all season. If it doesn't change we can kiss goodbye to any kind of success.

Rachel: Poor performance from Arsenal but I think it's been coming for some time. Most players were poor, some were a liability, some still showed they really wanted it. The result was almost fair in the circumstances but what worries me most is the knock to their confidence. Interesting to see how well they bounce back, do they have the mentality?

Arsenal could land long-term Serbian target Dusan Vlahovic, 24, for a bargain price because the Juventus striker's talks with his club over a new contract are not progressing well. (Caught Offside, external)

Borussia Dortmund's English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, 20, is drawing interest from Arsenal, Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest – though the German club want more than £50m for the player before they will consider selling. (Caught Offside, external)

Arsenal, Juventus, AC Milan and Napoli are among the clubs watching Como and Argentina midfielder Nico Paz, 20. (Nicolo Schira on X, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Gary Lineker brings highlights and analysis from Saturday's Seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Man Utd 2-1 Brentford

• Bournemouth 2-0 Arsenal

Harry Poole
BBC Sport journalist

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It was, Mikel Arteta admitted at full-time, an "accident waiting to happen".

For the third time in eight league games this season, Arsenal were left scrapping for precious Premier League points with 10 men after William Saliba was dismissed for the very first time in his career.

It was another unavoidable red too. After Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice were sent off for delaying the restart against Manchester City and Brighton respectively, Trossard's awkward first-time ball left Saliba in trouble and Evanilson took full advantage.

These mistakes could very well prove the difference in their bid to dethrone Manchester City and win a first Premier League title for more than 20 years.

As proven in the past two seasons, that is a difficult enough task as it is without playing an hour with a numerical disadvantage, and red cards have already cost the Gunners seven points at this relatively early stage.

Responding positively in upcoming league fixtures against Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea before the November international break is now paramount after being made to wait at least another week for the club's 2,000th top-flight victory.