Arsenal vs Bournemouth Review
Arsenal’s chances of finishing in second place in the Premier League took a significant blow after a surprising 2-1 loss to Bournemouth, who achieved their first-ever league double against the Gunners. Although Mikel Arteta’s squad might have been distracted by the upcoming UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, they couldn’t afford to become complacent as they still needed to secure a top-five finish. Declan Rice, making his 100th appearance for Arsenal, had the team’s first opportunity when he sent an angled shot wide after some excellent combination play with Martin Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli. He then missed another chance, again assisted by Martinelli, as the home team started to find their rhythm.
The most significant opportunity in the first 25 minutes fell to the Cherries, as Evanilson sent a powerful header from Milos Kerkez’s cross over the bar from close range. Martinelli was creating numerous issues on the left side and delivered an excellent pass to Leandro Trossard, whose looping header was saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga. However, it was Rice who broke the deadlock, skillfully controlling Ødegaard’s through ball, rounding Kepa, and calmly finishing into an empty net. Despite this, Arteta’s team appeared shaky defensively, and Evanilson’s long-range shot that just missed the bar served as a reminder of the visitors’ potential danger after David Raya was caught off his line.
After halftime, Arsenal pushed hard for a second goal, with Bukayo Saka playing a key role. The England winger was well found by Myles Lewis-Skelly, cut inside onto his right foot, and fired a shot just past the far post. Despite the Gunners’ pressure, Andoni Iraola’s team equalized in the 67th minute with a remarkably simple goal. Antoine Semenyo had only been on the field for two minutes when he executed a long throw-in to Dean Huijsen, whose excellent glancing header went past Raya.
The Cherries weren’t finished yet, as Evanilson shocked the Emirates with an unconventional finish at the far post after Marcus Tavernier redirected Alex Scott’s corner. The goal underwent a lengthy VAR review for potential offside and handball, but was ultimately allowed, even though replays indicated the ball may have hit the striker’s arm before getting past Raya.
Iraola’s squad managed to secure their first-ever away win against Arsenal, climbing to eighth place in the standings and enhancing their chances of achieving European qualification for the first time. On the other hand, Arsenal faced back-to-back home losses across all competitions for the first time in 16 months.
