Arsenal to Use Bournemouth Loss Anger Against PSG

Arsenal’s hopes for momentum ahead of their crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain were dashed after a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

Manager Mikel Arteta named a strong line-up, hoping to build confidence before Wednesday’s trip to France.

However, despite taking the lead through Declan Rice in the first half, the Gunners allowed Bournemouth back into the game, conceding two second-half goals.

Antoine Semenyo’s long throw-in led to an equaliser from Dean Huijsen, before Evanilson scored the winner from a set-piece corner.

The defeat marks Arsenal’s first-ever home loss to Bournemouth and raises fresh concerns about their form and defence, particularly from set-pieces — with 38.7% of their conceded goals this season coming from such situations, the highest in the Premier League.

Arteta acknowledged the setback but urged his players to channel their frustration into a strong performance in Paris. “It didn’t create the right momentum,” he said.

“It created a lot of anger, frustration, rage, disappointment. Let’s use all of that on Wednesday.”

Arsenal must now overcome a 1-0 first-leg deficit against a PSG side that has scored 42 goals in 16 Ligue 1 home matches this season. Domestically, Arsenal have also dropped 21 points from winning positions — equaling their worst-ever tally from the 2019–20 season — and risk slipping out of the top five if their form doesn’t improve.

Arteta admitted there is still work to do. “We haven’t earned the right to finish second yet. We still have a lot to do.”

Source: BBC Sports