LONDON :Arsenal suffered a 2-1 loss to Bournemouth who came from behind to take all three points in the Premier League on Saturday, with Evanilson’s scrappy winner giving the visitors a huge boost in their push for European football next season.
Declan Rice gave the Gunners the lead in the 34th minute, running on to Martin Odegaard’s neat reverse pass and rounding goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga before producing an accomplished finish on his 100th Arsenal appearance.
The hosts had chances to extend their lead, with Bukayo Saka curling narrowly wide, but Dean Huijsen gave Bournemouth a deserved equaliser in the 67th when he headed substitute Antoine Semenyo’s long throw into the bottom corner.
Evanilson bundled home from a corner eight minutes later to complete the turnaround after a lengthy VAR review determined there was no conclusive evidence he handled the ball.
“We got the goal and felt like we controlled pretty much everything,” Arsenal captain Odegaard told Sky Sports. “But they score and we lose control of the game … the second half is not acceptable.”
Arsenal stay second behind champions Liverpool and on 67 points, three points above Manchester City in third. They need six points from their remaining three games to guarantee a top-five finish and a return to the Champions League next season.
They have dropped 21 points from winning positions in a season that hinges on overturning a 1-0 deficit in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Paris St Germain.
Bournemouth’s win means they have done the double over Arsenal for the first time and move up to eighth place, which could be enough for European football next season, with 53 points from 35 games.
The Cherries have a tough run-in, with next Saturday’s visit from Aston Villa followed by a trip to Manchester City but Evanilson was confident Bournemouth can qualify for Europe.
“Since I arrived that was the project that was presented to me,” he said. “I always believed that we have the quality to fight for these positions.”
FIRST-CHOICE SIDE
With Liverpool crowned champions last weekend, Arsenal’s only chance of silverware is the Champions League but boss Mikel Arteta nonetheless named a nearly first-choice side.
PSG, with Ligue 1 already in the bag, made 10 changes for their 2-1 defeat at Strasbourg on Saturday, but Arteta said he could not afford to do the same.
“They have earned the luxury to do that,” he told reporters. “We haven’t because we still have a lot to do in the Premier League, but we have four days and I’m sure we will be fully recovered.”
Rice proved Arsenal’s greatest attacking threat in the first half, twice shooting wide before defender Illia Zabarnyi did well to stop him heading home a Ben White cross.
Saka went close to doubling Arsenal’s lead 10 minutes after the break, cutting inside and firing narrowly wide, before Bournemouth snatched all three points with a quickfire double.
Semenyo launched a throw-in into the box for Huijsen to head home before Evanilson held off Odegaard at the back post to turn Marcus Tavernier’s flick-on past goalkeeper David Raya.
The second goal seemed to sap Arsenal’s belief and by the end of the game the home fans were streaming towards the exits, with their minds already drifting towards Paris on Wednesday.
Arden Guillemette
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