Arsenal’s Declan Rice marked his 100th appearance for the club with a goal, but it was not enough to secure a victory against Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium. Despite taking the lead in the first half, the Gunners were unable to maintain their advantage, eventually succumbing to a 2-1 defeat. Dean Huijsen equalized for Bournemouth, and Evanilson’s controversial goal put the visitors ahead, leaving Arsenal unable to find an equalizer in the closing stages.
Declan Rice said: “Not our day yesterday, but proud to make 100 appearances for this incredible club. Thank you for all the support [red heart emoji].”
Mikel Arteta said: “We started and we did the most difficult one to score the goal. I think after that we had four or five very open situations to score the second one. We didn’t kill it and after that, on top of that, you defend the box really poorly, the way we’ve done it in the two set-pieces that we have conceded again. So they’re going to punish you and a team like Bournemouth, they’re going to punish you. That’s why they want big spaces. They have more legs than us, especially with sets and plays that were struggling in the final minutes. And we weren’t able to get the result that we wanted, so we’re very disappointed.”
Arteta continued: “Again, our preparation has been exactly the same or even more. I’m trying to put more emphasis into it. The margins are very small. It’s true that maybe we lacked, I don’t know, maybe a little bit of freshness and the way they have to repeat today. They had to play some players that probably weren’t in the best condition to play because we don’t have other players. But that’s it. That’s the context of it.”
On PSG resting players, Arteta remarked: “Well, I don’t know. They won the league so they have the luxury to do that. We haven’t because we still have a lot to do in the Premier League.”
The loss comes as Arsenal prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final. The Gunners’ manager, Mikel Arteta, acknowledged the challenge of balancing domestic and European commitments, emphasizing the need for consistent preparation. Despite the setback, Arsenal remains focused on their upcoming fixtures, understanding the fine margins that can define success at this level.
