Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth: Mikel Arteta’s Gunners suffered their third defeat in four competitive games, but this time it was a loss that could have a huge impact on their chances of winning the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta watched Arsenal stumble at home to Bournemouth
I really couldn’t believe I was watching a potential Premier League champion. Arsenal were miserable, lacking in ideas, careless, sloppy, weak, lacking in character and ultimately losing to a hard-working Bournemouth.
However, no matter how poor the players were, much of the blame for this defeat should also be placed on Mikel Arteta. Within the first 20 minutes, Arsenal were little more than a byproduct of an overactive and emotional head coach.
The Spaniard had called on Gunners supporters on Friday to “bring your lunch and dinner” to the Emirates, but there was an atmosphere of panic on the field, which caused restlessness and frustration in the stands.
Bournemouth committed some smart tactical fouls to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm and Arteta looked like a volcano ready to erupt, tormenting fourth official Gavin Ward as he darted around the technical area.
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He was so shaken up he couldn’t sit still, especially after Martin Zvimendi forced a disastrous straight pass out of play as he tried to find Ben White’s feet.
Moments later, the ambitious Cherries broke the deadlock with a goal from Eli Junior Crupi after some great work from Adrian Truffert, and the opener marked a rapid change in Arteta’s attitude and Arsenal’s approach.
The hungry Double Chase boss turned to the home crowd and gestured to them to calm down.
To be fair, his side, who later equalized through Viktor Gökeres’ Thunderbolt penalty, immediately felt more controlled and confident in possession, but this did raise questions. Why was there so much desperation to blow Bournemouth away?
There’s great substance behind Andoni Iraola’s side’s 12-game unbeaten streak, and it’s hard to break, but Arsenal looked intent on continuing their unbeaten run from the start rather than trying to wear it down and whittle it down.
Much was made of Bournemouth rising to the challenge and denying Arsenal a second successive title with a shock 2-1 win at the Emirates last May, but it was the wrong decision and their approach was blown up in their faces.
Arsenal suffered a heavy defeat against Bournemouth
Additionally, on Friday video footage was released of Arsenal playing a TikTok montage to inspire their players on a large screen next to a training session at London Colney.
If Arsenal’s side are lacking motivation at this stage of the campaign, with virtually a trophy in their hands, then they are probably in bigger trouble than we thought.
Arteta likes to think outside the box, but this kind of motivational tool feels somewhat artificial and feeds into the narrative that Arsenal lack the belief needed to get over the line.
Don’t get me wrong, Manchester City have built up quite a bit of momentum and a direct route back into title contention is already mapped out, so they are now in big trouble after Alex Scott’s expertly crafted winner.
Beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, defeating Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium next weekend and beating Burnley on April 22 would put them level on points with the Gunners.
Suddenly, Arsenal’s home games against Newcastle and Fulham, plus away trips across London to West Ham and Crystal Palace, were no longer a formality.
Two years ago, the team were heavily criticized for celebrating a goalless draw with Manchester City in the final stages of the season, leaving them two points behind Josep Guardiola’s champions at the summit.
A draw would definitely be in their favor next weekend as Arsenal lead the standings this time and are not part of the chasing pack, but it’s a dangerous game to go there and fight for points.
Alex Scott puts Bournemouth up 2-1 with a cool finish (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
If Arsenal really want to end their grueling 22-year wait for Premier League title glory, then victory at the Etihad is the only thing that will do, and you can’t help but feel that Arteta needs the return of his cavalry to achieve that.
Captain Martin Odegaard has suffered another unexplained injury, Bukayo Saka has not featured since the Carabao Cup final due to a fitness issue, Julian Timber is out for a month with a groin problem and Riccardo Calafioli has not started in back-to-back Premier League matches since early December.
The cruel reality is that Arsenal will struggle to get over the line without such an important player. This is because the players who replaced them in their absence have lost three of the last four games and have struggled desperately in all competitions.
A greater level of maturity, responsibility and belief will be required if Arteta’s men are to become champions.
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