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Your support makes all the difference.Olivier Giroud was hailed for his magical scorpion goal against Crystal Palace on Sunday but two days later he scored a far more important one to seal a thrilling comeback on the south coast.
The Frenchman headed home in the second minute of stoppage time as Arsenal battled back from 3-0 down to rescue a point.
Eddie Howe, a long term admirer of Arsenal, had been appearing to mastermind an extraordinary win for Bournemouth as goals from Charlie Daniels, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser had them in dreamland before Alexis Sanchez, Lucas Perez and Giroud responded.
Mesut Ozil was again missing due to illness with Wenger claiming he had been bedridden for a week and is now all but certain to miss Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Preston, but defender Shkodran Mustafi did at least return.
There was no Jack Wilshere for Bournemouth against his parent club and no Benik Afobe either despite pulling out of DR Congo duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, international clearance apparently not received in time for him to feature back in the cold of the south coast.
Arsenal may have scored a “scorpio” courtesy of Giroud on Sunday but they lacked a certain sting about their game from the off. Indeed it was Bournemouth who took the game to them.
Josh King’s speculative effort went just wide before a powerful Junior Stanislas shot from distance was straight at Petr Cech.
Wilson then went down in the area under a challenge from Cech but TV replays suggested the Arsenal goalkeeper had at least got some kind of touch on it.
However Bournemouth did take the lead on 16 minutes as Hector Bellerin was caught out by Daniels who finished left footed following Stanislas’ crossfield ball.
It took only five more minutes for the Cherries to all but seal the game with Arsenal again architects of their own downfall. Bournemouth broke at speed but Fraser was going away from goal when he was fouled by Granit Xhaka and referee Michael Oliver bravely and correctly pointed to the spot.
Wilson tucked home the penalty, his sixth of the campaign, but only after appearing to stumble in the run-up and not making proper connection on the kick.
Arsenal responded with an Alexis Sanchez curler that went just wide but by now luck was going completely against them as Francis Coquelin went off injured and immediately down the tunnel
Arsenal went close to reducing the arrears with a deflected Aaron Ramsey effort on the turn going wide but Wilson was continuing to cause problems and he was only denied by a fine tackle from Mustafi after appearing to break free.
The visitors had another chance late in the half as an Alex Iwobi scuffed shot did not find the target while at the other end Stanislas’ drive from the edge of the area at the other end went just wide of Cech’s post.
Arsenal came out in the second half with a real purpose but Bournemouth weathered the initial storm. They were frustrated as Harry Arter’s powerful shot from range hit Wilson but was ruled out for handball despite the Bournemouth striker appearing to try and get out of the way of the shot.
But it was soon joy again for Howe’s men with a goal that Bellerin will not want to see again on 58 minutes. The right back was fooled by Fraser from Daniels’ ball down the channel and the young Bournemouth midfielder cut in before beating Cech.
It could still have got worse for Arsenal with Stanislas’ free kick kept out by Cech. But they started the comeback 20 minutes from the end as Giroud headed on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross and Alexis Sanchez headed home.
A second duly came four minutes later as a superb Perez volley from another Giroud flick saw Artur Boruc beaten.
Bournemouth were left to hang on when skipper Simon Francis was sent off for a lunge on Aaron Ramsey and Arsenal eventually took advantage as Giroud nodded home from Granit Xhaka’s cross in the second minute of stoppage time.
AFC Bournemouth (4-4-2): Boruc; Francis, Cook, Ake, Daniels; Stanislas, Arter, Gosling, Fraser (A Smith 68); King (Surman 63), Wilson. Subs: Federici, B Smith, Mings, Ibe, Mousset. Sent-off: Francis 82. Booked: Cook
NEXT UP: Millwall (a), FA Cup, Saturday
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny (Gabriel 63), Monreal; Coquelin (Oxlade-Chamberlain 28), Xhaka; Ramsey, Iwobi (Perez 63), Sanchez; Giroud. Subs: Ospina, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Reine-Adelaide, Perez. Booked: Bellerin, Ramsey, Mustafi.
NEXT UP: Preston (a), FA Cup, Saturday
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
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