Bournemouth made history by claiming an away victory over Arsenal for the very first time as Andoni Iraola got one over on his childhood teammate, Mikle Arteta, at the Emirates.
Iraola’s side came from a goal behind to win 2-1 as the Cherries completed a first-ever league double over the Gunners.
Declan Rice gave the hosts the lead on his 100th Arsenal appearance as Arteta named a strong starting XI, but second-half goals from Dean Huijsen and Evanilson turned the game on its head.
The result moves Bournemouth up to eighth and gives a major boost to their hopes of playing European football for the first time next season.
For the Gunners, meanwhile, they head into Wednesday’s crunch Champions League semi-final second-leg showdown with PSG off the back of a defeat.
More memories made 🥰
Our first-ever win at Emirates Stadium LET’S GOOO 👊 pic.twitter.com/IWDyUxogUN
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) May 3, 2025
Rice scores on century of Arsenal appearances
However, the hosts started brightly. Rice flashed a couple of efforts wide early on as the Gunners started to probe.
But it was the visitors who had the game’s first real chance, Evanilson heading over from Milos Kerkez’s whipped cross when the Brazilian perhaps should have at least tested David Raya.
Gabriel Martinelli then dragged a left-footed effort wide after some neat build-up between Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka.
Trossard went close to giving the Gunners the lead shortly after but his downward header was well kept out by Kepa in the Bournemouth goal.
But just five-minutes later, the hosts did break the deadlock when Rice latched on to an Odegaard pass before coolly taking the ball round Kepa and finishing confidently for his eighth goal of the campaign.
Declan Rice gives Arsenal the lead against Bournemouth ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/ywHdWOzSop
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 3, 2025
Evanilson and Justin Kluivert then both had chances as Iraola looked for a positive response from his players after going a goal behind.
Bournemouth hit back after the break
After the restart, Saka fluffed his lines with a header inside the six-yard box before going close with a rasping effort not long after that fizzed narrowly wide.
Antoine Semenyo was then brought on as Bournemouth looked to salvage something from the game.
And it proved to be an inspired change as the Ghana international’s long throw-in set up the equaliser.
On 67-minutes, Semenyo’s throw deep into the Arsenal box found the head of Huijsen and the much-admired 20-year-old directed his effort past Raya and into the far corner.
Dean Huijsen heads home after a long throw-in and Bournemouth are level! 🍒 pic.twitter.com/HACX3cf5xS
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 3, 2025
Suddenly Arsenal looked rattled. The Cherries, meanwhile, sensed an opportunity.
And, sure enough, they built on that momentum by taking the lead with a quarter of an hour remaining when Evanilson bundled the ball home following Marcus Tavernier’s header from a corner.
It proved to be the last action of the match as Bournemouth held on for a famous victory, while Arsenal were left licking their wounds ahead of a monumental clash in Paris next week.
