Arsenal suffered a major setback in the title race on Saturday, losing 2-1 at home to and handing renewed hope in the closing stages of the season.
The visitors stunned the home crowd at the Emirates Stadium by taking an early lead through , before equalised from the penalty spot for Arsenal later in the first half.
Despite making several attacking adjustments, ’s side struggled to break down Bournemouth’s organised approach, with the visitors regaining the lead in the 74th minute through , who finished off a well-worked move past goalkeeper .
Arsenal pressed for a late equaliser but were unable to find a breakthrough, recording just their second home league defeat of the season.
With six matches remaining, Arsenal remain nine points clear at the top, but City now have the opportunity to close the gap significantly.
A victory over on Sunday would see Pep Guardiola’s side move within three points, ahead of a crucial encounter between the two title rivals at the Etihad Stadium next week.
The defeat also marked Arsenal’s third consecutive home loss in domestic competitions, raising concerns about their ability to maintain momentum in the title race.
Bournemouth had taken a deserved lead in the 17th minute when Kroupi capitalised on a deflected ball involving to score from close range.
Arsenal had chances to respond, with missing a clear opportunity before Gyokeres converted from the spot after a handball by .
Seeking a response in the second half, Arteta introduced attacking options including , , and , but the changes failed to alter the outcome.
Bournemouth’s winning goal came after a move involving and , with Scott applying the decisive finish.
Arsenal’s late efforts proved ineffective, with Gyokeres firing wide deep into stoppage time as the home side struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Just weeks ago, Arsenal were chasing a potential quadruple, but defeats to Manchester City in the League Cup final and to Southampton in the FA Cup have dented those ambitions.
While they remain favourites to lift the Premier League title, Manchester City, with games in hand, now have renewed belief as the race intensifies heading into the final stretch of the season.
