Arsenal experienced a setback before their crucial Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain, falling 2-1 to Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s men went ahead courtesy of Declan Rice’s opener on his milestone 100th appearance for the club.
However, Dean Huijsen restored parity in the second half, and Evanilson completed the turnaround to hand Bournemouth their maiden away victory over Arsenal.
After a narrow 1-0 loss to PSG in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final on Tuesday, Arsenal now face a demanding second leg in Paris on Wednesday.
The Gunners, currently second in the Premier League, also need six more points to ensure Champions League qualification via a top-five league finish.
Arteta, who recently expressed his frustration over Liverpool’s Premier League title triumph, is still seeking his second trophy in charge since lifting the FA Cup in 2020.
Arsenal have not reached the Champions League final since 2006 and remain without a title in the competition.
With so much riding on next week’s visit to Parc des Princes, it was notable that Arteta fielded a full-strength squad against Bournemouth, opting not to rest key players like Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and William Saliba.
Jurrien Timber and Mikel Merino were absent, with Arteta stating Timber will face a fitness test to assess his availability for the PSG clash.
Bournemouth, with hopes of a European berth, had already beaten Arsenal earlier in the season and featured Evanilson after his red card against Manchester United was rescinded.
Evanilson squandered a prime chance early on, heading over after Jakub Kiwior slipped trying to clear Milos Kerkez’s cross.
Leandro Trossard came close with a diving header from Gabriel Martinelli’s delivery, but Kepa Arrizabalaga made a sharp save.
Rice eventually broke the deadlock in the 34th minute, latching onto Odegaard’s pass and rounding Kepa before finishing into an empty goal.
Evanilson nearly caught David Raya off guard with a lob from distance following a poor clearance from the goalkeeper.
Saka had two chances after the break, the first a tame header at Kepa, and the second a curling shot that narrowly missed the far post.
Despite their dominance, Arsenal’s familiar struggles to hold onto a lead resurfaced. Bournemouth equalised with their first shot on target in the 67th minute when Semenyo’s long throw reached Huijsen, who rose above Rice to head past Raya.
Evanilson then struck the winner in the 75th minute, turning in Marcus Tavernier’s flick at the far post after a VAR check cleared a possible handball.
What you should know
Arsenal’s defeat against Bournemouth came at a critical time, potentially affecting both morale and momentum ahead of their decisive Champions League fixture.
The loss exposed their continued inability to protect leads, a recurring issue that has undermined their Premier League campaign.
With the title now out of reach and top-five qualification not yet secure, this performance further highlights the pressure on Arteta and his players to deliver in Europe.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, made history with their first-ever away win at the Emirates, capitalising on Arsenal’s defensive lapses and inconsistent finishing.
Evanilson’s winner capped a resilient display from the visitors, whose European aspirations remain alive.
The result puts even more weight on Arsenal’s trip to Paris, where failure to advance would end the season without silverware for the third year running.
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