Eddie Howe: 'Simon Francis sending-off was harsh'

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has bemoaned referee Michael Oliver's decision to send Simon Francis from the field in the second half of Tuesday's pulsating 3-3 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.

Goals from Charlie Daniels, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser saw Bournemouth led 3-0 against the Gunners just before the hour, but Arsenal scored three times in the final 20 minutes to somehow snatch a point.

Bournemouth were forced to play the final 10 minutes of the clash with 10 men after right-back Francis was handed a straight red card for a challenge on Aaron Ramsey, but Howe has called the sending-off "harsh".

"Fate conspired against us in several ways. I didn't think it was a sending-off. I thought that was harsh but in the end the quality of their players showed," Howe told Sky Sports News.

"The emotion is one of disappointment but we can't forget what the players did in the first half of that game. Sometimes you get lost because you're working every day but we have to remember how far we've come and what we're doing and at what level. But we're here to win which is why this hurts so much."

A total of 25 points has left Bournemouth in ninth position in the Premier League table after 20 matches. Next weekend, their attention will switch to the FA Cup as they prepare to travel to League One side Millwall.