Arsenal blew the title race wide open with an error-strewn display, as Bournemouth took all three points at the Emirates thanks to goals in each half from Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott.
Viktor Gyokeres had levelled from the penalty spot 10 minutes before the break after Ryan Christie was penalised for handball, but Mikel Arteta’s side could not turn that momentum into a win. Instead, they buckled under the pressure and missed the chance to move 12 points clear of Manchester City, even if only for a few hours.
Having spent the build-up urging supporters to raise the volume, Arteta described the defeat to [_BBC Sport_](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/cd7jz4d7d9vo), which was met with boos, as a “big punch in the face”.
“It was a tough one, especially as we’d invested a lot in this game; we knew the importance of that.
“Now it’s about the reaction, how you stand up and fight, and go with everything that we have forward, because it’s a painful day, for sure.”
Asked whether a run of emotionally draining fixtures had taken its toll, the manager dismissed the idea.
“I think that’s too simplistic to analyse. The way we started the game was very promising. We had some good moments, but were very inefficient. The moment we broke the press and played through them and had opportunities to run.
“You have to capitalise on those moments because the other ones are very chaotic moments that they are good at creating against you.
“The first action they had in and around the box, we have a really poor defending situation, a deflection, it lands to them, and it was game on.”
Arsenal travel to Manchester City next weekend with their lead now under threat. If Pep Guardiola’s side wins its game in hand, the current nine-point gap could disappear quickly. Momentum has a habit of shifting when the pressure builds.
“We’ve been coping with a lot of pressure since the beginning of the season,” said Arteta.
“Today was more a surprise that certain actions were very far from the level we have shown. Obviously, that shocks the system. We weren’t good enough.
“We asked a lot from the crowd, and today we didn’t respond to those standards. We have to apologise, take it on the chin, and move on.”
Before that trip to the Etihad, Arsenal have a chance to steady themselves when Sporting Lisbon visit on Wednesday, with a place in the Champions League semi-finals on the line.
“If we could play tomorrow, I think it would be the best thing we could do. Recover well, regroup, be very honest with each other, be clear about the expectations, what we want, how we’re going to approach the next game and any situation that is going to come to us in the next few weeks, and look forward.”