Bournemouth’s Evanilson and Eli Junior Cropi celebrate (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
Arsenal’s hopes of winning the English Premier League title suffered a major setback on Saturday after a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium by Bournemouth, giving Manchester City confidence in the race for the top spot.Bournemouth took the lead first in the 17th minute when Junior Crupi took advantage of a loose ball inside the penalty area after it collided with William Saliba and fell in his path, allowing him to score from close range and silence the home fans.Arsenal responded and gradually took the lead in the game, and their pressure finally showed in the 35th minute. Victor Gyukiris stepped up and slotted a penalty kick into the net after Ryan Christie was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area.
This goal raised Arsenal’s level and briefly calmed nerves around the stadium.The Gunners came out stronger after the break, and Mikel Arteta responded with bold attacking changes, bringing on Eberechi Eze, 16-year-old Max Doman and Leandro Trossard in place of Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli. However, despite the new atmosphere, Arsenal continued to struggle to break down Bournemouth’s disciplined defensive structure.
But Bournemouth remained dangerous in transition and restored the lead in the 74th minute with a neat move. David Brooks set up the opener before Evanilson’s tackle helped the ball fall to Alex Scott, who finished emphatically, firing a powerful shot past David Raya.Arsenal threw everything forward in the final minutes, but lacked accuracy in the final third. Gyokeris went close late on, firing in a powerful shot in stoppage time, as Bournemouth held out under the pressure.The home side finished with just three shots on target and suffered only their second home defeat in the league this season, a worrying sign considering the timing of the first round.Arsenal remain nine points clear at the top with six games remaining in their quest for a first Premier League title since 2004, but Manchester City, with games in hand, now have a clear chance to close the gap and pile on the pressure on the leaders ahead of their next meeting at the Etihad.