Bournemouth stuns Arsenal

Bournemouth beat Arsenal 2-1 at Emirates Stadium on April 11, handing the league leaders a home loss that reopened the Premier League race. (premierleague.com) Junior Kroupi scored in the 17th minute and Alex Scott added the winner in the 74th after Viktor Gyökeres had equalized from the penalty spot in the 35th. The crowd was 60,210 for the Matchweek 32 game in north London. (arsenal.com) It was Bournemouth’s second straight league win at Arsenal by the same 2-1 scoreline, according to Arsenal’s match report. ESPN’s recap said Bournemouth’s goals came from Kroupi and Scott as Arsenal dropped more points in the run-in. (arsenal.com) (espn.com) The result tightened the standings rather than ending Arsenal’s lead. As of April 13, Arsenal had 70 points from 32 matches, while Manchester City had 64 from 31, leaving City six points back with a game in hand. (arsenal.com) Bournemouth also moved up the table. Arsenal’s standings page listed Andoni Iraola’s side on 45 points from 32 matches, in 11th place after the win. (arsenal.com) Kroupi’s goal sharpened the focus on a teenager who has become a regular scorer this season. The Premier League’s player page listed the 19-year-old forward with nine league goals before this weekend, and multiple match reports recorded his strike at Arsenal as his latest. (premierleague.com) (arsenal.com) For Arsenal, the timing was awkward. The club’s fixture list shows a home Champions League game against Sporting Club de Portugal on April 15 and a league trip to Manchester City on April 19. (arsenal.com) Mikel Arteta called the defeat “a big punch in the face” after Arsenal missed the chance to stretch the gap at the top before City played the next day. Bournemouth left London with three points, and Arsenal left with far less margin for error. (sports.yahoo.com) (apnews.com)