Arsenal produced a stunning comeback from three goals down to nick a wildly entertaining 3-3 draw away to 10-man Bournemouth.
Olivier Giroud’s flicked header in stoppage time secured a point for an Arsenal side that looked dead and buried at 3-0 down with just over 20 minutes left.
Arsene Wenger said pre-game that playing Bournemouth “demands a complete focus defensively” but it was missing from the outset as the hosts scored twice in the first 20 minutes. First Hector Bellerin was pulled too far infield leaving Charlie Daniels all alone down Bournemouth’s left to cut inside and slot past Petr Cech from close range.
And three minutes later the hosts broke from an Arsenal free-kick, aided by Michael Oliver playing an expert advantage, and as Ryan Fraser entered the penalty box Granit Xhaka bundled him over. Wilson stepped up to convert the spot-kick, shooting straight down the middle.
Bellerin’s night got no better when he failed to deal with a routine ball in the channel, being muscled off the ball too by Fraser who then ran into the box and nutmegged Cech to score but things soon changed.
With 20 minutes to go the Gunners began to stage the miraculous comeback with goals from Alexis Sanchez and Lucas Perez, the latter a superb volley, and a red card for Bournemouth captain Simon Francis further spurred them on.
And Giroud’s glancing header to rescue a draw leaves Arsenal in fourth on 41 points, eight off leaders Chelsea who have a game in hand, while Bournemouth are still ninth.
TALKING POINT
Should Arsenal be happy or sad? The Vitality Stadium played host to an amazing comeback earlier in the season when Bournemouth beat Liverpool 4-3 but this one was equally as staggering. The result is ultimately a poor one for Arsenal, who will drop out of the top four if Spurs win tomorrow, but they can take heart from how they showed the sort of character not often associated with the club.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Ryan Fraser (AFC Bournemouth). The Cherries were at Arsenal’s throats from the outset and nobody epitomised that more than Fraser, who tormented Bellerin with his clever movement and direct running. He was instrumental in all three Bournemouth goals as it was he who created the space for Daniels to open the scoring and it was no coincidence that once he and King departed Arsenal look more comfortable.
