Evanilson crowns Bournemouth’s comeback win at full-strength Arsenal

It was a day when the Arsenal staff information threatened to be the information, Mikel Arteta sending a message on the outset. There was valuable little rotation from the supervisor earlier than Wednesday night time’s Champions League, semi-final second leg away in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain, the tie that solid lengthy shadows right here. Arteta needed to maintain his starters within the groove, to generate momentum for the Parc des Princes with a win. A lot for the idea.

Arteta rested Jurrien Timber, who had picked up a minor knock within the 1-0 first-leg defeat in opposition to PSG however that aside, he went with just about his strongest obtainable line-up. It was actually a distinction to the strategy of his PSG counterpart, Luis Enrique, who made 10 adjustments for his staff’s Ligue 1 sport at Strasbourg. PSG, who’ve already sewn up the title, misplaced 2-1.

It was wanting good for Arsenal when Declan Rice marked his one centesimal look for Arsenal with the opening objective on 34 minutes. Arteta had recalled Thomas Partey after his European suspension and his presence had a liberating impact on Rice, permitting him to play in his extra acquainted driving midfield function.

And but it will all come crashing down for Arsenal as Andoni Iraola oversaw a surprising Bournemouth turnaround from the halfway level of the second half – principally from the second he introduced on Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott. Bournemouth had solely ever tasted defeat in away matches in opposition to Arsenal. However they might depart with a victory that gave their hopes of a primary ever European end a shot within the arm. It was virtually a footnote that it additionally added as much as a Premier League double over Arsenal – after their 2-0 house win over them final October.

Semenyo was the supplier for the equaliser, his lengthy throw headed house by Dean Huijsen and Scott was behind what proved to be the winner, his nook bundled in by Evanilson. Bournemouth are realistically chasing an eighth-placed end, which could possibly be sufficient for a spot in subsequent season’s Uefa Convention League. Their perception has soared – in stark distinction to that of Arsenal.

Rice’s need to surge ahead was an impossible-to-miss element of the sport. He had bristled with menace within the early operating and if the tip product was missing along with his preliminary efforts, it didn’t have an effect on him. He saved on coming and his end for the breakthrough objective was medical; by no means unsure from the second he fixed on to Martin Ødegaard’s reverse ball and ran round Kepa Arrizabalaga. Ødegaard had discovered the house on the half flip following a go from Partey.

It was a sickener for Bournemouth, for whom this was arguably an even bigger sport given their European aspirations through the league. They performed a full half in a energetic first half they usually created the primary massive probability. Evanilson might have given the event a special complexion had he not headed excessive from Milos Kerkez’s whipped cross on 26 minutes. The striker was on their lonesome in entrance of objective having given Jakub Kiwior the slip.

Arsenal stirred after the left-off, Gabriel Martinelli dragging a shot previous the far put up and Leandro Trossard working Arrizabalaga with a close-range header. However Arsenal nonetheless wanted William Saliba to stretch right into a last-man slide sort out on Dango Ouattara earlier than Rice’s objective. There was additionally the second in first-half stoppage-time when David Raya erred with a go out from the again and Evanilson had the possibility to measure a chip with the goalkeeper off his line. He overcooked it.

Arsenal pushed after the second-half restart, Ødegaard to the fore. They raised the tempo. Ødegaard drove a break that led to Trossard not having the ability to unload a shot though, on the second section, Bukayo Saka virtually teed up Rice. Saka curled a right-foot shot simply extensive after popping up on the within left on to a Myles Lewis-Skelly go.

Iraola was an animated presence in his technical space. He barely stood nonetheless and he might bathe within the satisfaction of his substitutions having a dramatic affect. He despatched on Semenyo on the appropriate and the winger’s first act was to blaze clear solely to indicate an excessive amount of of the ball to Saliba, who cleared for a throw-in.

Semenyo’s subsequent act was to hurl mentioned throw-in into the field whereupon Huijsen, drifting again from close to the objective to the six-yard line, craned his neck to direct his header house. It was a surprising piece of athleticism and precision.

Bournemouth sensed blood. Marcus Tavernier, whom Iraola had moved from the appropriate to the No 10 place upon Semenyo’s introduction, went shut with a shot that deflected over. And from the nook, taken by Scott, Bournemouth cast forward. It was Tavernier who received the flick-on and Evanilson who obtained the higher of Ødegaard on the far put up to pressure previous Raya, who fumbled the ball in. The VAR would examine for handball. It was tough to see which physique half Evanilson had used to get the job accomplished. Neither he nor Bournemouth cared.