AFC Bournemouth produced a remarkable second-half turnaround to defeat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, extending their unbeaten Premier League streak to five matches and securing their first victory since mid-April.
Declan Rice had given Arsenal a first-half advantage, firing home in the 34th minute to put the home side in control.
The Gunners appeared to be heading toward three points that would solidify their grip on second place in the Premier League table.However, Andoni Iraola’s inspired substitution proved the catalyst for a dramatic Bournemouth comeback.
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Antoine Semenyo, introduced from the bench, made an immediate impact—winning a throw-in and then delivering a pinpoint cross for Dean Huijsen to head past David Raya just two minutes after entering the field.
The visitors completed their stunning reversal eight minutes later when Brazilian striker Evanilson, who had earlier squandered a golden heading opportunity, redeemed himself by directing Marcus Tavernier’s header into the net at the back post, squeezing the ball between Raya and the goalpost.
Despite creating the better chances overall—reflected in their superior expected goals tally of 1.43 to Bournemouth’s 1.06—Arsenal slumped to their first league defeat since February.
The result comes at an inopportune moment for Mikel Arteta’s side, who now head into Wednesday’s crucial encounter with Paris Saint-Germain off the back of a disappointing performance.
The Cherries’ victory propels them to eighth place in the standings as they continue their impressive late-season surge. They’ll look to build on this significant away win when they host Aston Villa next weekend.
Arsenal, meanwhile, remain second in the table but face a challenging week ahead with their European fixture followed by a high-stakes Premier League clash at Liverpool.
