AFC Bournemouth travelled to London on Saturday to take on Premier League leaders Arsenal.
All the talk before the game was that this could be seen as somewhat of a free-hit for the visitors, currently rooted in the relegation zone, this isn’t the type of game that you expect to get much from.
Especially considering the injury list that the Cherries are currently carrying, Lloyd Kelly, Illya Zabarnyi, Matias Vina, Jefferson Lerma, David Brooks, Marcus Tavernier, Junior Stanislas and Hamed Traore were all missing from the AFC Bournemouth head coach Gary O’Neil’s squad. All potential starters when fully fit and available, all missing.
With Lerma absent, Rothwell stepped into the midfield starting role alongside Philip Billing with Lewis Cook returning to the bench. With Tavernier absent, it was a chance for Antoine Semenyo to step into the attacking positions. The rest of the side remained unchanged from the 4-1 home defeat to Manchester City.
The Cherries got off to a flying start, scoring the second-fastest goal in the Premier League’s 30-year history when Philip Billing scored in just 9 seconds.
Just before the hour mark, AFC Bournemouth doubled their lead with a goal from Marcos Senesi. However, within just thirteen minutes Arsenal were back on level terms with goals from Partey and White.
With 2o minutes to go, Cherries supporters would be forgiven for believing that they know how this one ends, having already seen AFC Bournemouth lose after being two goals to the good twice already this season and duly, Arsenal hit a winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
After the match, O’Neil told Sky Sports…
“I thought we gave it a real good go against the best team in the country. Everyone that comes here gets dispatched fairly easily. We didn’t, but I’m bitterly disappointed for the group and for everybody that we suffer in the last seconds. But it was a huge effort from everyone to make it as close as it was.
“I don’t know when it [Arsenal’s winner] went in, maybe slightly over the allotted time, but we still have to see out the corner anyway. We had some moments, Arsenal were very dominant with the ball and our lads defended very well, we just couldn’t quite hang on.
“The kick-off routine is one we came up with. We scored two goals from decent set plays and should’ve scored a couple more on the counter.
“To suffer a 3-2 loss in the nature that we did is very disappointing, but I’m sure when the dust settles and we look at it as a whole, to take Arsenal that far with the type of form they’re in and the team they are, and where we are and where we’ve been for the last few years, it was a big effort from everyone.
“The boys will be devastated, as am I, for the next few hours or maybe slightly longer. But Liverpool come next week and we’ll be ready.”
Man of the match against Arsenal
Billing
Senesi
Rothwell
Solanke
Someone else
The boss' assessment on the late heartache at the Emirates.
— AFC Bournemouth đ (@afcbournemouth) March 4, 2023
AFCB_Liam wrote…
I don’t usually like the term but we have zero game management ability. Plenty of effort but you need to be smarter to take something out of these games and we got everything wrong after getting in to the 2-0 position. You simply have to take advantage of positions like that to stay up. That will be massively damaging psychologically.
La déception est aussi grande que l'espoir que nous avions de remporter ce match. Nous avons tiré leçon de cette défaite contre Arsenal.
The disappointment is as big as the hope we had of winning this match. We learned the lessons of this defeat against Arsenal. @afcbournemouth pic.twitter.com/3N6HRLB2oB— Dango Ouattara (@DangoOuattara) March 5, 2023
northstandmark said…
To lose from 2 up once happens in football. Twice is careless. Three times is incompetence.
It’s not all on GON, the players have a responsibility as well.
AFCBmattjamr replied…
That’s just the games we’ve lost with a two-goal lead.
Don’t forget dropping two points against Forest, two against Newcastle and 1 against Brighton.
I don’t understand how some people aren’t seeing O’Neil’s complete inability to hold onto a result. He’s not learning and needs to go.
The players are doing the hard bit so for god’s sake give us a manager who makes sure the player’s good work results in points
Referee youâre a disgrace @afcbournemouth 97th minute goal unacceptable
— Darren Anderton (@DarrenAnderton) March 4, 2023
Old Cherry added…
Bizarre result when the possession was 19% against 81%. ..and earlier in the game we only had 14% for long periods…
….so a 2 – 6 scoreline could easily have transpired….and had virtually bugger all to do with game management….our players just couldn’t maintain that lead because our players are just not good enough and will eventually be worn down over 97 minutes by the vastly superior talents of Arsenal’s squad …and from that incredulous amount of pressure.
If anything at all was wrong with the game management..then bringing on Cook is just not going to get you another goal, is it?
Wow, crazy day at the office! Emotions running high at the end, but 3 points was the aim and we got them! I wish nothing but good luck to @afcbournemouth in the coming games, keep pushing for every point â€ïž
— Aaron (@AaronRamsdale98) March 4, 2023
Kudos wrote…
Absolutely gutting result but for once we seemed to have the rub of the green and not a terrible performance away to the league leaders.
If it was the first game of the season we’d be talking about how promising it was.
Runnerrunnerru added…
Sorry, but it isnât good enough. Going 2-0 you should win games. Losing 3 times when 2-0 up is embarrassing. OâNeil comments are pathetic.
Just fed up at this point. Think we have a squad that can stay up but find the whole hanging on to GON absolutely baffling, especially after spending money in January. Completely clueless and out of his depth. The plug should have been pulled bloody months ago. – To join the conversation, click here.
"It was mad!" đ
Mikel Arteta is really proud of his team and says this is the BEST game he has managed at Arsenal! pic.twitter.com/W3bTORTbaZ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 4, 2023
