Mikel Arteta selected a robust lineup to face Bournemouth, evidently looking to establish momentum and assurance before Wednesday’s vital second leg of the Champions League semi-final versus Paris Saint-Germain. Instead, Arsenal’s morale took another blow following a lackluster 2-1 loss.
Some anticipated that Arteta would bench important players, but following three disappointing Premier League showings in their last four, the lineup was not a true shock.
Jurrien Timber was given a break, as Ben White replaced him and Thomas Partey made his comeback from the European suspension that was detrimental against PSG. Partey's addition relegated Mikel Merino to the bench, while Leandro Trossard remained in his forward position.
A few fans were worried about the risk of injuries to Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Partey. Rice emerged uninjured and scored his confidence-boosting goal, while Partey was in urgent need of playing time.
Arsenal required a solid showing before facing PSG, but fell short, even after going ahead with Rice's goal. He made a few attempts early on before the most significant opportunity in the first 25 minutes went to Evanilson, who remarkably discovered plenty of space eight yards out to connect with Milos Kerkez's swift cross. Jakub Kiwior was on the floor for reasons only he understands.
A clever save by Kepa stopped Trossard, leaving Arsenal fans anxious for a moment as Saliba intervened to thwart Dango Ouattara's big opportunity. Fortunately, he received sufficient contact with the ball, and shortly thereafter, Arsenal took the lead.
Rice, in his 100th match for Arsenal – yes, it's true – netted the first goal. Martin Odegaard was in urgent need of a boost following a nightmare performance against PSG, and responded with a flawless pass. Kepa approached, and Rice sidestepped him before taking a shot, despite the attempts of Illia Zabarnyi.
Evanilson might realistically have scored a hat-trick in the first half. One header wrapped around the top of the net, and another big opportunity arose when Raya’s misplaced pass meant for Odegaard provided him with a chance. The Brazilian lifted it over the bar while Raya rushed to respond.
At one moment, Ouattara had White in trouble, but it was the Arsenal players who appeared to be giving Bournemouth a chance to equalize. Raya's daring pass and Saliba allowing an easy ball to slip beneath his foot raised concerns before a goal was scored.
This Arsenal team was treading on thin ice, and the appearance of Antoine Semenyo stepping in wasn’t particularly reassuring for White and his teammates.
Semenyo's influence was immediate – yet not in the manner anyone anticipated. His lengthy throw created disorder, and noted Arsenal transfer prospect Dean Huijsen headed the ball past Raya in front of the traveling fans.
Arsenal appeared lacking in energy following the equaliser, while Bournemouth seized the initiative. If there were to be a winner, it seemed like it would be the visitors.
Sure enough, the Cherries scored once more from a set-piece. Marcus Tavernier’s header reached Evanilson at the far post, and he overpowered Odegaard – who provided minimal resistance. VAR examined for handball, but no decision was made.
Odegaard's self-assurance seems depleted, and although his assist was flawless, it won't eliminate the memory of him being pushed aside by Evanilson for the goal. Other than that goal contribution, it was yet another disappointing performance from an Arsenal captain who is raising the bar – but not in the right way.
For reasons known only to him, Arteta chose to wait until the 86th minute to bring on Ethan Nwaneri – similar to how he delayed until injury time to introduce him against PSG. The youth joined Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko, taking the place of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Ben White – all three of whom will be ready for Wednesday in Paris, but not exactly overflowing with assurance.
Nonetheless, PSG faced defeat today as well. Minor blessings.
In the end, Arteta faced the decision of either conserving players' energy or pushing hard to create momentum before a crucial match against Luis Enrique’s PSG. He opted for the latter option, but the risk did not yield results.
Indeed, there are important minutes in the players' legs – however, rather than building confidence, rhythm, and momentum, these Arsenal players will travel to the French capital feeling downcast and potentially dreading another loss.
Odegaard's performance is truly concerning. Truthfully, if Arteta leaves him out for the PSG match, not one Arsenal supporter will challenge that choice. He's far from it – and that's a major reason why Arsenal are as well.
They appear devoid of creativity in the final third and, despite supposedly shedding the ‘soft touch’ label, seem alarmingly vulnerable defensively. Allowing two goals from set-pieces is truly a disaster – and it seems to be resurfacing as their major weakness.
Andoni Iraola seized on Arsenal's weaknesses to become the first Bournemouth manager to secure a win at the Emirates and achieve a Premier League double against them.
Managers throughout the league are now acutely aware of Arsenal’s weaknesses—overturning a deficit against them is no longer a formidable challenge.
Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Cherries marks the tenth instance where they have squandered points from a winning stance this season, and it is the first time they've been defeated after being in front. That amounts to 21 points lost overall—only Spurs, Fulham, Ipswich, and Southampton have accrued more.
With three league matches left, Arsenal will be just two points ahead of Newcastle United if they win against Brighton on Sunday. We currently exist in a world where they might be stressing about achieving a top-five position.
Should PSG eliminate them from the Champions League, Arsenal could potentially redirect their attention to domestic competitions. However, with an upcoming visit to Anfield, followed by a home match against Newcastle, the timing is far from ideal given their current performance.
Arteta cannot rely on the rotation excuse following the defeat to Bournemouth, and these players must significantly elevate their performance in Paris. After proving their strength against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, you shouldn't dismiss them just yet. However, we wouldn't hold it against you if you did…
Comments