**Bournemouth**beat **Arsenal**2-1 to throw another twist in the tale for the Premier League title race.
The Cherries, who were undefeated in their last 11 Premier League fixtures before this early kick-off, claimed the early advantage through EliJunior Kroupi**** crashing the back post. Warning signals were not heeded by the hosts, whose momentum faded away soon after a Viktor Gyokeres leveller.
The action after the break brought little belief to the fans at the Emirates Stadium, and **Alex Scott**smashed a second strike home for the guests, whose topflight unbeaten run is now a record 12 games.
Story of the Match
Mikel Arteta altered the attack mostly after midweek action at Sporting. Noni Madueke maintained his starting spot in the absence of Bukayo Saka, but **Kai Havertz**and Gabriel Martinelli replaced Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard. Five of the back six outfielders remained the same: the only exception was Myles Lewis-Skelly, who started in place of Riccardo Calafiori at left back.
Andoni Iraola switched only one member of the starting eleven that he used three weeks ago against Manchester United in a 2-2 draw. Eli Junior Kroupi came in for Amine Adli, so Marcus Tavernier took a role on the left wing while Ryan Christie and **Alex Scott**stayed as the two deeper midfielders. Adrien Truffert, Marcos Senesi, James Hill and Alex Jimenez joined forces as the back four.
With such a significant period for preparation, the Cherries were always like to produce an energetic performance. Twice, channel balls towards **Evanilson**enabled the guests to come close to connecting inside the penalty area, while their pressure prevented progression for Arteta’s men out from the back.
**Bournemouth**are not opposed to chaotic contests, and the hosts had their first decent opening to try to break the deadlock. Madueke managed to connect with **Viktor Gyokeres**down the right channel, and his pullback would have fell at the feet of Martinelli if Jimenez was not alive to the danger.
Truffert flew forward on the left flank, and White wandered inside with Tavernier. Neither he nor Madueke kept tabs on the fullback, whose cutback deflected off the foot of Gabriel Magalhaes. It flew up towards the far post, where Kroupi Junior had found space to hit the back of the net.
The hosts had to respond sharply. Rice led the charge, crashing into a tackle on Scott that earned his team a corner. The midfielder wound up a delivery for the set-piece, and his execution was on the money, placing the ball into the six-yard box. Havertz got his head to the ball, but it flew over the bar.
Having bagged at brace at the Vitality Stadium in January, Rice remained the leading light for the Gunners. Gyokeres earned a free kick for a foul from Senesi, and the midfielder found Gabriel at the back post, but no red and white shirts met his knockdown. Then, Rice was the recipient of a quick restart from David Raya, stepped inside Scott, and his through ball was inches away from Gyokeres.
Unsurprisingly, set pieces paved the way back into the game for Arsenal. Gyokeres got another free kick for a foul from Jimenez, then Martinelli set his way up the left wing, and he set the ball back for Rice, whose deflected effort led to a corner. Gabriel got his foot to the ball at the second phase of the situation, and a handball from Senesi meant the hosts had a penalty. Gyokeres grabbed his chance.
Supporters at the **Emirates Stadium**started to loosen up, but tension was still in the air in North London. The Cherries continued to impose themselves, and they threatened the most at the end of the half: Scott steered a devilish delivery into the box from a free kick that drifted just wide of the target.
The start of the second half did not demonstrate a different Arsenal. Raya almost put his teammates in trouble with a misplaced pass in the buildup, and the hosts had problems getting the ball out from the back to feed the forwards. A triple substitution would follow from the manager in the 53rd minute.
Arteta rotated the three attackers behind goal scorer Gyokeres. **Leandro Trossard**took the place of Martinelli, Eberechi Eze entered in place of Havertz, and **Max Dowman**swapped in for Madueke.
The substitutions seemed to make no difference for the Gunners. Tavernier and Truffert were lively on the left flank with the fullback splitting the difference between **Evanilson**and Raya through another dangerous delivery. Then, Jimenez jostled successfully with Trossard in a 1 v 1, and he charged the full length of the field with the ball at his feet only to fail to find either of his teammates to his left.
The battles at both ends of the pitch were unproductive. Gyokeres was getting no success in aerial duels with Senesi, and when he did break through to bury a long ball from White, the striker had strayed offside. Meanwhile, Raya and Zubimendi diced with their fortunes from buildup sequences, and fans were given flashbacks to the frustrations with Kepa Arrizabalaga at Wembley Stadium.
Rice provided the reprieve once more. A surging carry through the centre of the park pulled **Arsenal**into opposition territory, and he eventually unleashed a long-distance strike that forced Djordje Petrovic to pull off a save. Lewis-Skelly saw his shot smothered from the subsequent set-piece.
Iraola then chose to bring on two players: Tyler Adams added freshness to the midfield as he sat behind Scott, and **Rayan**was replaced by David Brooks.
**Bournemouth**battled on, and they hurt the hosts a second time. **Evanilson**and Brooks built the bridge through the centre of the field, and Scott sprinted off the back of Zubimendi, slotting a strike to the right of Raya: 2-1 to the Cherries.
Arteta had to roll the dice for the final fifteen minutes of the match. Cristhian Mosquera was a straight swap for White at right back, and Zubimendi stepped aside for Gabriel Jesus. Rice dropped deeper in the midfield, and the firepower from four forwards was tasked with finding an answer.
It almost arrived immediately. Petrovic flapped at a cross into the box, and Gyokeres lashed at the ball. But Hill had masterfully blocked the strike with his right boot to concede only a corner.
It was then the turn of Jimenez to throw his body on the line, stopping Gabriel from grinding a way through to the goal. Five minutes of injury time were left, and the best chance fell for Gyokeres, who screwed up a strike from the edge of the penalty area.
**Arsenal**had blown a big opportunity to make a statement, and City could close the gap to six points with a game in hand by the end of the week.