Arsenal warm up for PSG with first ever home loss to Bournemouth
Arsenal players speak during their loss to Bournemouth. Pic: AP Photo/Kin Cheung.
EVANILSON scored the winning goal to ensure Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal failed to win after taking the lead for the tenth time this season as they suffered their first ever home defeat by Bournemouth.
Thankfully, for Arteta, his side managed to avoid any fresh injuries before they try to overturn a first-leg deficit in this Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final away to Paris Saint-Germain.
The psychological blow to their confidence, having gone in with a full strength line-up, could prove damaging, however.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola masterminded a home win against his childhood Basque friend Arteta in October and is now on the verge of securing a first European qualification for the south coast club too.
Arsenal, meanwhile, go to Paris clinging on to second place in the table and their place in next season’s Champions League far from certain following more dropped points.
And this is how it all happened. Evanilson could and should have headed Bournemouth in front after 25 minutes. He shook himself free of a tussle with Jakub Kiwior, leaving the Arsenal defender on the floor as he jumped unmarked to head just over the bar from six yards out.
It woke up Arsenal and the crowd as Gabriel Martinelli found himself in front of goal with a great shooting chance moments later.
The Brazil winger did not have much time to compose himself but his dragged shot wide was a poor effort at any level.
Leandro Trossard, preferred as the focal point of Arsenal’s attack ahead of the benched Mikel Merino, did find the target with a good header in Arsenal’s next attack, but Spanish keeper Kepa saved superbly on his goal line.
Rice, by far Arsenal’s best player, showed everyone how to finish on 34 minutes. The all-action midfielder was free to roam forward with Thomas Partey back from suspension to anchor the midfield.
He ran on to a classy Martin Odegaard through ball and rounded Kepa with one touch and then finished confidently with the next before celebrating in the form of a theatrical bow to the Clock End Arsenal fans behind the goal.
Bournemouth responded vigorously and created a couple of decent chances in including a chipped effort from Evanilson when he spotted David Raya wandering out of his area.
Arsenal continued to be the better team after the break without ever really looking like one goal would be enough against a dangerous breaking Bournemouth side.
That proved to be the case when substitute Antoine Semenyo launched a long throw into the Arsenal area on 66 minutes and lanky Dutch defender Huijsen nodded in his fourth headed goal of the season from close range. So simple and so effective.
Evanilson added the controversial second eight minutes later when he bundled the ball over the line from a poorly defended corner.
Replays appeared to show the Brazilian finished with his elbow, but VAR Michael Salisbury decided the video evidence was not clear enough to overrule the referee’s decision.
Either way, Arsenal had looked poor after conceding for the first time and were far from alert when Marcus Tavernier flicked the corner on to Evanilson to finish.
The winner might have been hotly contested but Arsenal can not justifiably claim they deserved much more from the match.
Raya 6, White 6 (Zinchenko 86), Saliba 7, Kiwior 6, Lewis-Skelly 7, Rice 8 (Merino 74), Partey 7, Odegaard 7, Saka 6 (Nwaneri 86), Martinelli 6 (Sterling 86), Trossard 6.
Setford, Tierney, Clarke, Butler-Oyedeji, Gower.
Arrizabalaga 7, Araujo 6 (Scott 65), Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez, Cook, Adams, Tavernier, Kluivert 6 (Semenyo 65), Ouattara 6 (Brooks 74), Evanilson 6 (Jebbison 87).
Dennis, Senesi, Smith, Soler, Hill.
Jarred Gillett 5.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
