Arsenal F.C. suffered a major blow in the Premier League title race on Saturday after a 2-1 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium.
The result has given renewed hope to Manchester City F.C., who are chasing the leaders with games in hand.
Bournemouth took the lead in the 17th minute when Junior Kroupi reacted quickest inside the box to tap home after a deflected cross fell kindly to him.
Arsenal responded and found an equaliser in the 35th minute. Viktor Gyökeres stepped up and smashed in a penalty after the ball struck the arm of Ryan Christie inside the area.
Despite several attacking changes after the break, Mikel Arteta’s side struggled to break down a well-organised Bournemouth team. The visitors continued to threaten on the counter attack and regained the lead in the 74th minute when Alex Scott fired a powerful strike past David Raya.
Arsenal pushed hard for a late equaliser but could not find a way through, suffering only their second home league defeat of the season.
The defeat leaves Arsenal still top of the table with six matches remaining, but their lead remains under threat. Manchester City can close the gap further if results go their way in the coming fixtures, including a key clash against Arsenal next week.
Arsenal’s recent form has raised questions, especially after a mixed run in cup competitions, while Bournemouth continue to impress under Andoni Iraola with another strong away performance.
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