Arsenal suffered a setback ahead of their Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain, losing 2-1 to Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Evanilson scored the winning goal for Bournemouth, while Declan Rice had earlier given Arsenal the lead.
This defeat comes at a critical time for Arsenal, who will need a much-improved performance in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against PSG in Paris on Wednesday. The Gunners also still require six points to guarantee Champions League qualification for next season via a top-five finish in the Premier League.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted that it was “very painful” to watch Liverpool celebrate winning the Premier League title last weekend. The Champions League is Arsenal’s last hope of a trophy this term, and Arteta is still waiting to win the second trophy of his six-year Arsenal reign.
Despite the relatively meaningless nature of the match against Bournemouth, Arteta selected a full-strength side, with key stars Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and William Saliba all starting. The defeat raises concerns about Arsenal’s form ahead of the crucial match against PSG.
