Arsenal have suffered a major setback in their pursuit of this season’s Premier League title after losing 2–1 at home to Bournemouth.
The match was played at the Emirates Stadium, where the visitors took the lead through Junior Kroupi. However, Arsenal equalized before halftime with a penalty converted by Viktor Gyökeres.
In the second half, Mikel Arteta’s side tried to increase the pressure through tactical changes, but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a well-organized Bournemouth team led by Andoni Iraola.
Bournemouth regained the lead in the 74th minute when Alex Scott scored following a fine attacking move, beating goalkeeper David Raya.
The result marked only Arsenal’s second home defeat of the season, despite still holding a nine-point lead with six matches remaining.
The victory gives Manchester City a chance to close the gap, should Pep Guardiola’s side win their upcoming match against Chelsea and also triumph in their direct clash with Arsenal.
It would be recalled that earlier in the week, Arsenal had received a boost after defeating Sporting Lisbon 1–0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie.
