Arsenal must now ensure they are not beaten when they travel to the Etihad next week to take on Man City.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Arsenal missed an opportunity to go 12 points clear of their nearest rivals, Manchester City, at the top of the Premier League table after Bournemouth secured a 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Despite a call from Gunners manager Mikel Arteta for supporters to arrive early and get behind the team, it was Bournemouth who took the early initiative.
The visitors were deservedly rewarded in the 17th minute when Junior Kroupi finished off Adrien Truffert’s deflected cross from close range to make it 1-0.
The home side rallied after going behind and levelled through Viktor Gyokeres, who slammed home a penalty after Ryan Christie was punished for a handball while attempting to block a shot.
ALSO READ: Supercomputer tips Arsenal to win EPL title; predicts other top-four places
In the second half, Arteta opted for a triple substitution, introducing an attacking trio of Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, and 16-year-old Max Dowman.
However, it was Bournemouth who produced the defining moment of the encounter. Alex Scott ran onto Evanilson’s flick on the edge of the penalty area and fired past David Raya, silencing the home crowd.
The defeat means Arsenal have missed the chance to extend their lead ahead of Manchester City’s fixture against Chelsea on Sunday.
Although Arteta’s men remain top of the table, they must now ensure they avoid defeat when they travel to the Etihad next week to take on Pep Guardiola’s side.
