#2 Arsenal make a phenomenal comeback to hold AFC Bournemouth
Arsenal showed great character and grit to fight back from three goals down to draw against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth, looking for their first back-to-back win in the Premier League, started on a positive note. But Arsene Wenger’s substitutions and Arsenal’s perseverance kept them in the hunt for the elusive league title as they managed to score three goals in 20 minutes.
The Cherries began the game with a lot of energy, pressing high up the pitch and winning the ball back quickly to unsettle the North Londoners. Charlie Daniels scored in his second consecutive appearance to give Bournemouth the lead, which was doubled by Callum Wilson from the spot 5 minutes later.
Arsenal, playing their second game within 48 hours, looked tired and did not manage a single shot on target in the first half. They were simply rattled by the vibrancy of the opponents and the intimidating atmosphere inside the stadium. Their defence looked shaky and all the goals they conceded were the result of poor judgement and defensive mistakes.
But everything was no lost yet for the Gunners as Alexis Sanchez headed home his 10th away goal of the season in all competition to put Arsenal on track. The Chilean now has scored 8 times away from home, the most by a player in the league, equal to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa.
Lucas Perez, Wenger’s summer signing from Deportivo la Coruna, scored a sumptuous volley off a great Giroud pass. The Gunners’ comeback was completed by Giroud’s header which found the back of the net 5 minutes before the final whistle. The 30-year old resurgent striker, who led the epic fight back, has now scored in each of his last three appearances.
Arsenal have now scored in each of their last 11 matches and also their last 9 away matches in the league(They failed to score against only Leicester and Middlesborough). However, they dropped to 5th position in the league table as a result of the draw.
