Arsenal suffered a 2–1 home defeat to AFC Bournemouth in the 32nd round of the Premier League, putting their position at the top of the table under increased pressure ahead of their clash with Sporting CP in the Champions League.
The visitors took the lead through Eli Junior Kroupi in the 17th minute, before Viktor Gyökeres equalized from the penalty spot in the 35th minute. However, Alex Scott restored Bournemouth’s advantage in the 74th minute after an assist from Evanilson.
Despite the loss, Arsenal still hold a nine-point lead over Manchester City, although they have played two more matches. City—featuring Portuguese internationals Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Matheus Nunes—could draw level at the top if they win their games in hand and beat Arsenal in their upcoming head-to-head clash.
Read more about this topic: Champions League: Sporting lose to Arsenal 1-0 (with video)
Before that crucial league encounter, Arsenal will host Sporting in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. The London side, managed by Mikel Arteta, carry a narrow advantage from the first leg after a late winner by Kai Havertz in Lisbon.
Bournemouth, currently ninth, extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches, showing resilience despite allowing Arsenal to dominate possession. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s recent form is concerning, with this marking their fourth league defeat and third loss in their last four matches—matching the total number of defeats from their previous 49 games.
