Kamal Ghorui
Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes suffered a major setback on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 at the Emirates by Bournemouth, handing Manchester City renewed belief in the race at the top of the table.Bournemouth struck first in the 17th minute when Junior Kroupi pounced on a loose ball inside the box after a looping deflection off William Saliba fell kindly into his path, allowing him to tap home from close range and silence the home crowd.Arsenal responded and gradually grew into the game, with their pressure finally telling in the 35th minute. Viktor Gyökeres stepped up and smashed home a penalty after Ryan Christie was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area. That goal brought Arsenal level and briefly settled nerves around the stadium.The Gunners came out stronger after the break, and Mikel Arteta reacted with bold attacking changes, introducing Eberechi Eze, 16-year-old Max Dowman and Leandro Trossard in place of Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli. However, despite the fresh legs, Arsenal continued to struggle to break down Bournemouth’s disciplined defensive structure.Bournemouth, however, remained dangerous in transition and regained the lead in the 74th minute with a well-worked move. David Brooks created the opening before Evanilson’s involvement helped the ball fall to Alex Scott, who finished emphatically, drilling a powerful shot past David Raya.Arsenal threw everything forward in the closing stages but lacked precision in the final third. Gyökeres came closest late on, firing wide deep into stoppage time, as Bournemouth held firm under pressure.The hosts ended with just three shots on target and suffered only their second home league defeat of the season, a worrying sign given the timing of the run-in.Arsenal remain nine points clear at the top with six games left in their pursuit of a first Premier League title since 2004, but Manchester City, with games in hand, now have a clear opportunity to cut the gap and pile pressure on the leaders ahead of their upcoming meeting at the Etihad.
