Mikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders Arsenal suffered a shock home defeat to Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium, ending their hopes of winning the title.
Arsenal suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC)
Title-chasing Arsenal suffered their biggest setback of the season as they were completely defeated by Bournemouth in their most important game to date, leaving them far behind in the title race.
Mikel Arteta will be left pondering his next move following the devastating blow after the Cherries ran out 2-1 winners in north London. There was tension around the stadium, but things got worse when Bournemouth took the lead and Crupi scored at the far post after a deflection. Victor Gokeres scored the equalizing goal from the penalty spot.
However, the second period was disastrous for the Gunners as Alex Scott exploited some uncertainty at the back and slotted his way past David Raya. Despite a late surge, the result was decided – the pressing question now is whether Arsenal’s challenge will also end.
What did Arsenal players make of Saturday afternoon’s shocking defeat?
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David Raya – 2
It produced some truly baffling moments, including a pass that should have been converted into a goal for Bournemouth. All the Arsenal supporters in the stadium were outraged.
Ben White – 2
The ball was played in behind and they were caught up, giving Bournemouth the lead. Canceled due to multiple errors
William Saliba – 4
A deflection of his cross allowed Crupi to profit and score at the far post. Another player failed to execute a pass from the defensive line.
Gabriel – 4
The team worked through some nerves and produced some key blocks and interceptions early on. He earned a penalty for hitting Christie’s raised arm as he tried to play the ball into the box.
He then played the ball long and gave up the ball in his own half, leading to Bournemouth’s second goal.
Miles Lewis-Skelly – 5
Crupi Junior ghosts away Miles Lewis-Skelly to score Bournemouth’s first goal (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
There were some promising moments in the first half, as he ducked away from his marker and picked out a teammate. After the break, he felt unwell and struggled to get on the ball.
Martin Zvimendi – 2
He kept the crowd on edge with a series of wayward passes and at times drew the ire of Gokeres by failing to release the ball at key moments. His worst performance in an Arsenal shirt.
Declan Rice – 4
They posed a threat from distance and had several shots deflected to earn the hosts a corner. There were moments in the second half when he threw caution to the wind and ran through the midfield to take flight, but ultimately his efforts were in vain.
Noni Madueke – 2
In the first half, they could only make valuable contributions and were unable to overtake their opponents.
Kai Havertz – 3
Alex Scott puts Bournemouth up 2-1 with a cool finish (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
He missed a golden chance to equalize and crashed into the corner just beyond the post. Other than that, he was unable to make his presence felt and was robbed of the ball many times.
Victor Gokeres – 6
He calmly converted the penalty kick and scored his 18th goal of the season. Probably their standout performer.
Gabriel Martinelli – 2
Yet another winger was unable to find his marker on the left and was dragged off without making a sound.
substitute
The Gunners took a golden chance to move one step closer to the title (Image: Justin Setterfield)
Max Dauman – 5
Arsenal struggled to get the ball to their winger, but he looked lively. But the fact that so many young players were needed speaks volumes about Arsenal’s predicament.
Eberechi Eze – 4
Unfortunately, despite coming off the bench, Havertz was unable to make as much of an impact as he had previously shown.
Leandro Trossard – 3
Defensively, he made a potentially important final block. However, he struggled to make any real impact going forward.
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