Bournemouth Stuns Arsenal, Shaking Up Premier League Title Race

The Premier League title contest has been thrown wide open after Bournemouth secured a stunning 2-1 victory over a lackluster Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Prior to the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had called upon the home fans to create a hostile atmosphere by bringing their full energy, but his team failed to match that intensity, delivering a sluggish performance that saw them miss the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table to 12 points. Junior Kroupi gave Bournemouth a well-deserved lead in the 17th minute, only for Viktor Gyokeres to equalize for Arsenal from the penalty spot in the 35th minute, after Ryan Christie had handled the ball. Despite Arteta introducing Eberechi Eze, Max Dowman, and Leandro Trossard in an attempt to inject life into his team, it was Bournemouth who looked more likely to find a winner, which they did through Alex Scott in the 74th minute, securing their second consecutive win at the Emirates. The home fans expressed their discontent with a smattering of boos at the final whistle, as the visiting supporters taunted them with chants of 'second again', a reality that now seems increasingly possible following this lackluster display from the Gunners, who have finished as runners-up for the past three seasons. Rarely has a nine-point lead at the top of the table seemed so fragile. Manchester City, who have two games in hand over Arsenal, can reduce the gap at the top to just six points when they face Chelsea on Sunday, live on Sky Sports. The significance of the Gunners' trip to the Etihad the following Sunday has been amplified by this defeat, their third consecutive loss in domestic competitions, which has raised major doubts over their ability to secure their first title in 22 years. Live Premier League table Watch FREE Premier League highlights Got Sky? Watch now on the Sky Sports app Not got Sky? Get instant access with no contract Arsenal: Raya (5), White (5), Saliba (6), Gabriel (6), Lewis-Skelly (7), Zubimendi (6), Rice (6), Havertz (5), Madueke (5), Gyokeres (6), Martinelli (5). Subs: Eze (6), Dowman (6), Trossard (6), Mosquera (n/a), Jesus (n/a). Bournemouth: Petrovic (7), Jimenez (7), Hill (7), Senesi (7), Truffert (7), Scott (8), Christie (7), Kroupi (7), Tavernier (7), Evanilson (7), Rayan (7). Subs: Brooks (6), Adams (6), Smith (n/a), Unal (n/a), Toth (n/a). Player of the Match: Alex Scott. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: "It's extremely disappointing. This is a significant setback; it's about how we respond now. "Credit to Bournemouth for their performance; they haven't gone 11 games unbeaten for nothing. "They got a lot of things right. When we had the opportunity to regain the ball in the first half, we were far from efficient. "The first time they had a chance to attack the box, it was a deflection, a really bad defensive action, and it cost us a goal. "That's something we have to deal with emotionally. We tried to recover and push them, we scored from the penalty, and you expect a different game. "But we did a lot of strange things today." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sky Sports' Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday: "Stay away from the papers and social media because everyone will be saying 'here comes the meltdown!' "A terrible, terrible result. Bad performance, no energy, no real intent to take the game to Bournemouth. It's a sloppy result." When asked if there's a glimmer of hope for Arsenal, he added: "I don't think City will beat Chelsea on Sunday." It doesn't get any easier for the Gunners... Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola to TNT Sports: "I'm very happy for the players, in this kind of big game, you have to rise to the occasion. "We've shown personality and enjoyed some moments on the ball, which is sometimes difficult against Arsenal. "It was good to finish the job, coming from a lot of draws which always brings a question mark, but today three points, which are massive for us. "It was a strange situation before this game, coming from five draws in a row. "You cannot fully enjoy it, but we needed this game to put us in a better position in the standings."