Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth: Huijsen and Evanilson inspire comeback to boost European hopes

Bournemouth breathed beingness into their European hopes aft second-half goals from Dean Huijsen and Evanilson inspired them to a 2-1 comeback triumph distant astatine Arsenal.

Preparations for Wednesday’s 2nd limb of the Champions League semi-final astatine Paris Saint-Germain hardly went to program for Arsenal, who suffered different disappointing illness astatine Emirates Stadium.

Declan Rice opened the scoring aft 34 minutes pursuing a delicate Martin Odegaard pass, portion Evanilson passed up 2 opportunities successful the opening period.

However, arsenic was the lawsuit successful their 2-2 gully with Crystal Palace past clip retired successful the Premier League, Arsenal had nary lucifer to a spirited show from the visitors aft the interval.

Huijsen headed location Bournemouth’s 67th-minute leveller from substitute Antoine Semenyo’s agelong throw-in, stunning the location assemblage into silence.

Evanilson past latched onto Marcus Tavernier’s flick-on from Alex Scott’s left-sided country to poke successful the victor 8 minutes later, with the extremity lasting aft a VAR cheque for handball against the striker.

The comeback leaves second-place Arsenal conscionable 3 points wide of Manchester City, portion Bournemouth ascent to eighth, 2 points supra Fulham pursuing the Cottagers’ nonaccomplishment astatine Aston Villa.

It ends successful defeat.

Attention turns to Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/NtkmjQTAEL

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 3, 2025

Data Debrief: Another Arsenal collapse

Rice was the leader with a free-kick treble successful the archetypal limb of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, and his opener present marked his eighth extremity crossed each competitions this season.

That is the champion scoring instrumentality successful a play of Rice’s vocation truthful far, portion team-mate Odegaard besides delivered to soundlessness critics.

The Norway planetary has present provided an assistance successful each of his past 3 Premier League games, arsenic galore arsenic successful his erstwhile 20 beforehand.

However, a second-half illness saw Arsenal marque it 21 dropped points from winning positions successful the Premier League this season, their joint-most ever successful a azygous run (also 21 successful 2019-20).

It was besides the archetypal clip Arsenal mislaid a Premier League crippled successful which they were up astatine half-time since January 2022, 2-1 against Man City, having been unbeaten successful 63 earlier this nonaccomplishment (W53 D10).

Arteta whitethorn consciousness the decision was not afloat deserved, though, fixed his broadside accumulated 1.43 expected goals to Bournemouth’s 1.06.