Arsenal-Bournemouth (1-2): “A big punch in the face”, the Gunners are still stalling in the Premier League

Leader of the Premier League, Arsenal fell again this Saturday at home against Bournemouth (2-1). Mikel Arteta’s men suffered a potentially destructive third consecutive league loss in the title race against Manchester City.

The Skyblues are nine points behind the Gunners six days from the end of the year. But everything still remains to be played out between the two teams: Manchester City has in fact played two games less than Arsenal, who it welcomes next weekend in what looks more and more like a “final” for the coronation.

Meanwhile, the Gunners have shot themselves in the foot at the worst of times, as England continue to debate their ability to withstand the pressure in the final sprint. Deprived of several usual starters (Calafiori, Timber, Odegaard and Saka), Mike Arteta’s men lacked ideas against ambitious visitors.

“We will have to show even more combativeness. We will have to be very, very strong and determined to approach it in a different way than today, especially when the match was not going in our favor,” reacted the Spanish technician after the match.

“Today it’s painful, it’s a terrible feeling, but tomorrow will be another day. If someone had told me in August that we would be in this position today in April, I’m sure we all would have signed right away,” he continued.

Kroupi impresses

The Cherries were rewarded for their good start thanks to French striker Eli Junior Kroupi (17th, 0-1), in ambush at the far post to take a cross from Adrien Truffert deflected by William Saliba.

The 19-year-old ex-Lorient player, already a scorer in the first leg, reached the ten-goal mark in the Premier League on this occasion, which no player under 20 had achieved in his first season in the English elite since Robbie Keane in 1999-2000 with Coventry City (12).

Arsenal, as often, relied on set pieces to create danger, with a penalty obtained shortly after the half-hour mark on a handball from Ryan Christie following a header from Gabriel. Viktor Gyökeres transforms into force and equalizes (35th).

But the Gunners fell back into their mistakes, conceding a new incursion from Alex Scott, decisive at the start of the last quarter of an hour (74th). “It’s a big punch in the face. That’s what I told the boys. Now it all depends on how we react,” Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports at the final whistle.