Arsenal endure dismal warm-up for huge Champions League clash with shock Bournemouth loss | OneFootball

Arsenal warmed up for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Paris Saint-Germain with a shock 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth.

Declan Rice fired the Gunners ahead after 34 minutes but Andoni Iraola’s visitors staged a spirited second-half comeback at the Emirates.

Dean Huijsen equalised in the 67th minute and eight minutes later Evanilson bundled in the winner to help Bournemouth complete a league double over the Gunners and boost their own faint European qualification prospects.

Mikel Arteta revealed on Friday Arsenal’s new Premier League target was to finish second after Liverpool clinched the title last Sunday, but Manchester City’s victory over Wolves has closed the gap to three points.

This fourth league defeat of the campaign means the Gunners face a potential battle for a top-five finish over the next month, but first is a midweek trip to PSG where they will aim to overturn a one-goal deficit to reach a second Champions League final.

Despite the enormity of Wednesday’s fixture, Arteta made only two changes and one was enforced with Jurrien Timber not fit enough to be involved.

Mikel Merino, recently a makeshift forward for Arsenal, also dropped to the bench, which allowed Rice the freedom to roam forward and he dragged the first chance of note wide after 15 minutes.

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Declan Rice opened the scoring for Arsenal

Rice sent another effort off target minutes later before he winced not long after Gabriel Martinelli limped back onto the pitch following an excellent run.

Both were fine to continue but the hosts’ were nearly hit with a sucker-punch in the 26th minute when Milos Kerkez produced a superb left-footed cross but Evanilson headed over from six yards.

It was a gilt-edged opportunity which should have been immediately punished, only for Martinelli to scuff wide from the edge of the area, before Trossard saw a header stopped on the line by Cherries goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Arsenal’s opener arrived three minutes later when Rice rounded Kepa before firing home his eighth goal of the campaign.

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Bournemouth celebrated an impressive win (EPA)

The visitors responded strongly with a Justin Kluivert effort deflected behind  before David Raya’s sloppy pass was almost punished but Evanilson chipped over.

Arteta’s half-time message seemed clear as Arsenal targeted an early second goal but a close-range Bukayo Saka header hit team-mate Rice before another effort by the England attacker was straight at Kepa.

Saka curled wide after he cut impressively inside Julian Araujo after 57 minutes before he teed up Martin Odegaard but the Arsenal captain ignored cries to shoot and was dispossessed on the edge of the area.

It kept Bournemouth in the match and Iraola reacted after Kluivert smashed over with Alex Scott and Antoine Semenyo introduced with 25 minutes left.

Semenyo’s first involvement was to ruin a counter-attack with a heavy touch but he made amends straight after when he created the equaliser with a long throw which was steered into the bottom corner by Huijsen.

Merino was sent on for Rice in the 74th minute but the Cherries won it 60 seconds later when substitute Scott’s inswinging corner was flicked on by Marcus Tavernier and finished by Evanilson.