AFC Bournemouth were condemned to fourth straight defeat as the Cherries fell to a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates. The team never looked sharp enough and the Gunners took advantage of a lacklustre display from Bournemouth.

Manager Eddie Howe spoke to the club's official site afcb.co.uk and had his say on the game and made his opinions on the match perfectly clear.

Bournemouth simply weren't good, says Howe

Arsenal looked to be in total control of the game from start to finish and the Cherries uncharacteristically never had a foothold in the game, Howe was disappointed with the performance and echoed his concerns.

He said,"To be blunt, our performance wasn't very good".  He wanted to remain "honest" and not hide from the fact of the game that his side wasn't up to it on the day. 

"We were disappointing from start to finish and we have a lot of work to do.", he said.

He acknowledged that such slip-ups can take place and that he's "been here many times before", however, he said that you "can't afford" for these things to happen in the Premier League.

"If you're ever below your levels you will be punished.I felt as though if we'd been good today we would have stood a chance, but we simply weren't.", he continued.

We have to find some character, admits Howe

Bournemouth's failure to win so far has led them to 18th place on the table after four games, hardly the positive start the Cherries were hoping to make before the 2017/18 season began.

The team's attitude has rarely been questioned in the past. The Dorset based side have always had an honest attitude towards their game, a mentality that's been praised by coaches and pundits alike.

Now in their tough moments, the Cherries need to rediscover some of that old swagger and turn this situation around, for good. Howe spoke on the same lines and commented on the poor league position, "You don't sit on zero points if everything's going great", he said.

He admitted that the team needs to "dig deep" and find "some character"if they are to wriggle out of this tough spot. "historically we've shown that and we have to show what we're made of.", he further said.

Howe takes responsibility for defeat

Howe also spoke about the importance of giving it your 100% in every game, regardless of the opponent and that his side were unable to do it against the Gunners.

He said that the team needs to "reach the maximum level" in every game and not just against quality sides like Arsenal. As the Cherries boss, Howe felt he was responsible for the poor showing away from home. 

"I'm the manager and I have to take the responsibility and the responsibility to put it right.Today you didn't see a Bournemouth team that represents what we stand for.", he said.

Bournemouth will be hoping to rejuvenate their season next Saturday when they face off against Brighton & Hove Albion.