It was a day when the Arsenal team news threatened to be the news, Mikel Arteta sending a message at the outset. There was precious little rotation from the manager before Wednesday night’s Champions League, semi-final second leg away against Paris Saint-Germain, the tie that cast long shadows here. Arteta wanted to keep his starters in the groove, to generate momentum for the Parc des Princes with a win. So much for the theory.
Arteta rested Jurriën Timber, who had picked up a minor knock in the 1-0 first-leg defeat against PSG, but that apart, he went with pretty much his best available lineup. It was certainly a contrast to the approach of his PSG counterpart, Luis Enrique, who made 10 changes for his team’s Ligue 1 game at Strasbourg. PSG, who have already sewn up the title, lost 2-1.
It was looking good for Arsenal when Declan Rice marked his 100th appearance for the club with the opening goal on 34 minutes. Arteta had recalled Thomas Partey after his European suspension and his presence had a liberating effect on Rice in midfield, allowing him to play in his more familiar driving role.
Yet it would all come crashing down for Arsenal as Andoni Iraola oversaw a stunning Bournemouth turnaround from the midway point of the second half – basically from the moment he introduced Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott from the substitutes’ bench. That said, his Bournemouth team had asked questions before then.
Bournemouth had only ever tasted defeat in away matches against Arsenal. But they would depart with a victory that gave their hopes of a first ever European qualification a tonic. It was almost a footnote that it also added up to a Premier League double over Arsenal – after their 2-0 home win over them last October.
Semenyo was the provider for the equaliser, his long throw headed home by Dean Huijsen and Scott was behind what proved to be the winner, his corner bundled in by Evanilson. Did the striker use a hand? Arteta thought so but the video assistant referee, after a lengthy check, gave the all-clear. At long last, Bournemouth had caught a break from the technology; Evanilson, too. He was sent off in last weekend’s 1-1 home draw against Manchester United on the advice of the VAR; a decision that was later rescinded. Bournemouth were 1-0 up at the time.
Iraola’s team are realistically chasing an eighth-placed finish, which could be enough for a place in next season’s Uefa Conference League. Their belief has soared – in stark contrast to that of Arsenal.
The north London club are supposed to be the set-piece kings but the concessions here were their 11th and 12th from dead-ball deliveries in the league this season. Even more worrying, it was the 10th game in which they had led and failed to win; a total of 21 points squandered. In only one previous season have they thrown away as many points from winning positions, which was in 2019-20. Could Arsenal yet find themselves looking over their shoulders for a top-five finish and a return to next season’s Champions League?
It was the worst possible outcome for Arteta, going strong with his selection and getting nothing, even if he could enjoy the performance of Rice, whose desire to surge forward was an impossible-to-miss detail. Rice lacked end product initially but it did not affect him. He kept coming and his finish for the breakthrough goal was clinical; never in doubt from the moment he fastened on to Martin Ødegaard’s reverse ball and ran around Kepa Arrizabalaga. Ødegaard had found the space on the half turn following a pass from Partey.
• This was the first time Bournemouth have ever avoided defeat away against Arsenal in all competitions (L8).
• Arsenal have dropped 21 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, their joint-most ever in a single campaign (also 21 in 2019-20).
• Dean Huijsen’s equaliser was Bournemouth’s first shot on target in this match, and their first Premier League goal from a throw-in since 2017.
• Declan Rice made his 100th appearance for Arsenal in all competitions. His opener was his 15th goal for the club, as many goals as he managed in 245 games for West Ham. Opta
It was a sickener for Bournemouth, for whom this was arguably a bigger game given their European aspirations via the league. They played a full part in a lively first half and they created the first big chance, Evanilson heading high from Milos Kerkez’s whipped cross on 26 minutes. He was all alone in front of goal having given Jakub Kiwior the slip.
Arsenal stirred after the let-off, Gabriel Martinelli dragging past the far post and Leandro Trossard working Arrizabalaga with a close-range header. But they still needed William Saliba to stretch into a last-man slide tackle on Dango Ouattara before Rice’s goal. There was also the moment in first-half stoppage time when David Raya erred with a pass out from the back and Evanilson had the chance to measure a chip with the goalkeeper off his line. He overcooked it.
Iraola was an animated presence throughout. He watched Arsenal bring the intensity at the start of the second half, Bukayo Saka going close with a curling shot but then came the substitutions that changed everything. Semenyo’s first act was to blaze up the right only to show too much of the ball to Saliba, who cleared for a throw-in.
The Bournemouth winger’s next act was to hurl the throw-in into the box whereupon Huijsen, drifting back from near the goal to the six-yard line, craned his neck to direct his header home. It was a stunning piece of athleticism and precision.
Bournemouth sensed blood. Marcus Tavernier, whom Iraola had moved from the right to the No 10 position after Semenyo’s introduction, went close with a shot that deflected over. When Scott curled over the corner, Bournemouth forged ahead. Tavernier won the flick-on and Evanilson was stronger than Ødegaard at the far post, managing to get something to the ball, forcing it home. Raya was guilty of a fumble into the bargain. Arsenal were broken.
