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Amidst widespread transfer speculation surrounding their best players, Arsenal visited the Vitality stadium to visit an unrelenting Bournemouth side for their Premier League Matchday 23 clash.
Bereft of the services of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, Arsenal were left red-faced by an inspired performance from the Cherries, who recorded their first-ever win against the Gunners.
After a rather bland first half, Hector Bellerin put Arsenal ahead in the 52nd minute, before Callum Wilson brought the hosts level in the 70th minute. Wilson then went on to assist Jordan Ibe's goal just 4 minutes later to seal the tie, and put yet another nail in the coffin that could eventually house Arsene Wenger's Arsenal career.
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Amongst a number of things to discuss, here are 5 key talking points from the game:
#5 Arsenal throw away crucial lead
After a dreary goalless first half, Hector Bellerin put a smile on the faces of Arsenal's devout fans, who by then, had started showing signs of concern. Collecting Iwobi's pass on the right flank, the Spaniard sped forth with characteristic speed that, according to a number of Arsenal fans, could put those of sound and light to shame.
Arsenal then went on to hold the lead for 18 more minutes, before Callum Wilson infiltrated the Gunners quicker than Winter did in Westeros. Ryan Fraser's exquisite low-cross from the right flank was deftly put past Petr Cech in the 70th minute, bringing the Cherries level, suddenly reducing the width of most smiles.
Merely minutes later, in the 74th, the Englishman found himself in a threatening position, but lost control of the ball, only to inadvertently set up Jordan Ibe, who didn't need a second invitation to smash the ball into the back of the net - this time, completely wiping out all traces of smiles in the Arsenal camp.
The next 20 minutes (4 minutes of stoppage time, before you begin to mock my math) churned no moments of redemption for the Gunners, who now find themselves 5 points adrift of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur - not the best place to be in with just 15 league games left in the season.
#4 Bournemouth outshoot the Gunners
Arsenal may have all the guns, but on the night, it was Bournemouth who turned out to be the more dangerous side. The Eddie Howe-managed side huffed and puffed until they blew the house down, with a total of 13 shots (as compared to Arsenal's 12), of which 5 were on target (as compared to Arsenal's 3).
Although Ryan Fraser accrued an impressive total of 6 shots, it was Callum Wilson and Jordan Ibe who eventually found the net. Jordan Ibe, in particular, seemed to be in fine form, and was Bournemouth's best player in the game.
The Englishman took 3 shots, made 4 dribbles, and finished with a passing accuracy of 72%. More importantly, however, was his relatively late winner - Ibe's first ever goal for Bournemouth - which gave the Cherries the edge, and subsequently, all 3 invaluable points.
#3 Is 'Alexit' imminent?
Ironically, one of the biggest talking points from the game isn't a particular player's performance, but rather, one's absence. Alexis Sanchez. Arsenal's wantaway Chilean sensation was dropped for this game amidst intense speculation of an exit ('Alexit' is what they're calling it), in favour of either Manchester club.
In conversation with Sky Sports, Arsene Wenger finally broke his silence on the situation, as he offered tidbits both, before and after the game. Initially, the Frenchman said that Sanchez was dropped because he was "vague" about his future. However, after the game, Wenger went on to confirm that Sanchez is, indeed, on transfer standby.
The Arsenal manager said:
"It could happen today or tomorrow or not at all," Wenger said, when asked about Sanchez leaving. "That's why I didn't want to travel with him today for him to go somewhere else."
"He could have moved today or yesterday or not, but it will be decided in the next 48 hours. He is on standby so I decided not to bring him today. It wasn't that he didn't want to play."
While it looks more a question of when than if, Arsenal's biggest issue at the moment might not be Alexis Sanchez and his departure. Today's performance, if nothing else, highlighted the underlying question: "How are Arsenal without Alexis Sanchez?"
The answer, was there for the world to see. Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi were entrusted with the responsibility of accompanying Alexandre Lacazette up front, who himself managed to take no shot.
Astonishingly, neither Welbeck nor Iwobi registered a single successful dribble, thereby indicating the lack of creativity in the side. Further, the pair managed only 3 shots between them - making it 3 from Arsenal's front 3 - which simply does not augur well for a side that intends to compete in Europe next season.
#2 Bournemouth make history; climb up the table
The hosts came from behind to stun Arsenal in a victory only sweetened by the fact that they made history in the process. Eddie Howe's side did what no other Bournemouth side in history has done - defeat Arsenal.
Going into this game, Bournemouth had squared off against Arsenal on 6 different occasions (5 in the Premier League), of which the Gunners had won 5, with the other encounter ending in a draw.
To add icing to an already scrumptious cake, this historical win also lifted the Cherries to 13th on the Premier League table, and while that may not quite impress a whole lot of you, you would do well to remember that they were languishing at a lowly 16th place - just 1 point adrift of the dreadful relegation zone
Eddie Howe and co. will now find some breathing space, and will look to capitalise on this victory, by using it to try and drive them further up the table, far away from the harsh lower rungs of the English top flight.
#1 What next for Arsenal?
23 games played, 11 won, 6 drawn, 6 lost. As of this moment, Arsenal have lost and drawn more games than they've won.
As a combined result of this loss and Liverpool's victory against Manchester City, the Arsene Wenger-managed side are now 8 points away from a coveted top-4 finish - something many believe is the only thing Arsenal might be able to achieve this season.
The Gunners have only won 1 of their 7 games across all competitions, and none in their last 5 - meaning they're winless in 2018.
After last week's FA Cup exit, and the Premier League seemingly lightyears out of reach, Arsenal are only really in contention for the Carabao Cup - a cup that will need them to get past Chelsea and then quite possibly, Manchester City - and the UEFA Europa League - a cup that will need them to trump the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, and Napoli.
If things continue the way they're going, silverware will remain nothing but a distant longing, and an empty trophy cabinet might just spell a premature end (he is on a 2-year contract which ends only after next season) for Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal career.
Stats courtesy: WhoScored.com
