Bournemouth punish Arsenal from set-pieces to leave Premier League race for second wide open | OneFootball

Arsenal were unable to move one step closer to guaranteeing European football at the Emirates next season via Premier League qualification following a 1–2 defeat to Bournemouth at home this evening.

Mikel Arteta’s men, though, could still enter the 2025-26 competition as defending champions, as this contest was sandwiched between their semi-final showdown with Paris Saint-Germain. But they have it all to do in the French capital this upcoming Wednesday after losing the opening leg 1-0 on their own patch. With that said, you wouldn’t blame the Gunners for making wholesale changes.

In the end, only Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino made way for Ben White and Thomas Partey, the latter having been suspended midweek. After seeing Liverpool, their next opponents, crowned English champions last weekend, securing second place for a third consecutive season has become Arsenal’s main domestic objective. There is a seven-point gap to sixth-place Nottingham Forest with four matches remaining.

Plus, game-changing options from the bench aren’t exactly plentiful (save for the aforementioned Merino, teenager Ethan Nwaneri, and inconsistent Raheem Sterling), so Arteta’s going with his strongest possible eleven was the wise decision, though it ultimately didn’t pay off.

It was, as the cliche goes, essentially a game of two halves. Rice, a strong contender to be named the club’s most valuable player (though Bukayo Saka has a strong case), opened the scoring just over ten minutes before halftime. For a third straight Premier League game, skipper Martin Odegaard produced an assist; this is as many assists as in his previous 20 appearances in the competition.

Odegaard, who missed a chunk of this campaign early on due to an ankle injury, would be the first to admit he is not performing at the level many expect from him, although four assists from his last seven Premier League appearances suggest it is not a complete write-off.

Renowned for his ability to screen the defence and expertly retain and recycle possession, this is now Rice’s best goalscoring season in all competitions across his senior career (eight). Being a threat from deep has added a new dimension to Arsenal’s game, and more than ever, their success rests on whether he is playing well.

But you can understand why many felt disappointed with his performance against PSG a few days earlier. One goalscoring opportunity was created, but it wasn’t a “big chance,” while completing one take-on from five attempts. He also did not produce a single attempt on goal, despite predominantly playing in the same area as Leandro Trossard, who had three attempts with two on target.

The fact that Trossard occupied the same space is explained by his utilisation as the Gunners’ “false nine,” with him often dropping between the midfield and attacking lines. It was the same again today with Gabriel Martinelli, stationed as the left winger, often Arsenal’s furthest man upfield.

In the first half against Andoni Iraola’s side, only Rice (3) had more attempts on goal than Trossard (2). Both players hit the target once, with Rice’s attempt being successful. It was a prelude to another standout game from the England international who, in Rodri’s absence, has arguably taken on the mantle of the league’s premier “number six.” He previously cited his biggest strength as breaking up play and taking the ball from deep; he made a team-high two successful tackles and won seven duels, but Rice is one man.

A mere 120 seconds after coming on after the hour mark, Antoine Semenyo found the impressive Spanish centre-back, Dean Huijsen, to convert Bournemouth’s equaliser. Defending set pieces is becoming a problem for the Gunners—one simple throw into the six-yard box, and Huijsen is the only player to attack it. He connects with a clever header, which finds its way into the bottom corner.

This was the first Bournemouth goal from a throw-in in the Premier League since April 2017 (Josh King v Liverpool), and no defender has scored more headed goals than Dean Huijsen in the Premier League this season (Gabriel Magalhães also has three).

Seen as the set-piece masters, Arsenal were once again undone by this method eight minutes later when Marcus Tavernier won the first contact at the near post and sent the ball to the back post, where Evanilson was waiting. He held off Odegaard and bundled the ball home from close range. This is the first time Arsenal have conceded two goals from set pieces (excluding penalties) in the same Premier League game since December 2023 at Luton.

Evanilson, who has been directly involved in five goals across his last six Premier League games (four goals, one assist)—as many as in his previous 17 appearances in the competition—is just the fourth Brazilian player to score 10+ goals in his debut Premier League season, after Robinho, Roberto Firmino, and Matheus Pereira.

Head coach Arteta will be tearing his hair out as they have dropped 21 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, their joint-most ever in a single campaign (also 21 in 2019–20). More concerning is the fact that they have left the door ajar. Third-place Manchester City, who have also played 35 matches, are three points behind with three games remaining. The gap to fourth-place Newcastle is five points, with the Magpies yet to play this weekend. Chelsea, in fifth place, are seven points back with a game in hand, and the same is true for Nottingham Forest.

If you throw Aston Villa, who are seventh but level with Forest and Chelsea despite having played a game more, it comes down to six clubs battling for four spots and, crucially, that coveted runners-up place.

As for Bournemouth, who have completed a league double over Arsenal, they move into eighth spot, their away record doing much of the heavy lifting. Only champions Liverpool (38), Arsenal (31), and Nottingham Forest (29) have won more away points in the Premier League than the Cherries this season (28).

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