Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth: Cherries come from behind to down uninspiring Gunners

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Evening Standard

·3. Mai 2025

Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth: Cherries come from behind to down uninspiring Gunners

Bournemouth came from behind for a first-ever win at the Emirates

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Arsenal made it just two League wins from six as they fell at home to Bournemouth on Saturday.

For Bournemouth, the result will fan the flames of their quest for Champions League qualification after a run of poor results saw them drop in the table, but the result will be more damaging for the Gunners, who were in the market for a confidence booster ahead of their trip to Paris in midweek.

Rice’s opener came after a dismal start to the match where he had found himself in some good positions but struggled to make anything of them. He squandered two shooting chances in the early stages, later falling into the advertising hoardings as he made a weak attempt at a cross. But he took the opener with icy precision, latching onto Martin Odegaard’s through ball, taking it round Arrizabalaga and scoring into an empty net.

Match winner: Evanilson

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It would be the only difference between the two sides in the first half, but that is not to say Bournemouth did not have their chances. Evanilson missed a pair of chances to equalise in quick succession towards the end of the half, heading over from a Milos Kerkez cross and squandering a counter as he attempted to chip Raya from range. Kepa made a crucial intervention to keep Trossard’s header out, getting down quickly to stop it on the line.

The second half could almost be described as end-to-end, if only at half pace. Chances went both way, but neither team managed to create much tangible threat.

But it would be Arsenal ruing their misses. Moments after his introduction, Anthoine Semenyo heaved a long throw into the box for Dean Huijsen to head a deserved equaliser home.

Evanilson would put the Cherries ahead as he wrestled with Odegaard, the ball looking to deflect in off his elbow, but VAR said after a lengthy check that there was insufficient evidence to overturn the decision. After VAR controversy saw Saliba dismissed in the return fixture, debate will again rage on long after full-time.

As Arsenal trailed, Arteta was not able to give the requisite rest to his star players that he might have wanted ahead of a Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, but he will be comforted to know that they too suffered a disappointing loss in the league today, falling 2-1 to Strasbourg.