Bournemouth vs. Arsenal: Score and Reaction from 2017 Premier League Match

Olivier Giroud rescued Arsenal an unlikely late point as they came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday.

Two first-half goals in four minutes for the hosts from Charlie Daniels and Callum Wilson put the Gunners on the back foot, and when Ryan Fraser netted just before the hour, the game looked over as a contest.

However, Alexis Sanchez netted with Arsenal's first shot on target 20 minutes from time before substitute Lucas Perez volleyed home brilliantly five minutes later to set up a grandstand finish.

Giroud then headed home in stoppage time to prevent Arsenal from a fourth Premier League defeat of the season and keep the Gunners' fading title hopes alive. 

Both clubs provided their starting lineups before kick-off. Shkodran Mustafi, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey all returned for Arsenal, with Mesut Ozil still absent through injury:

Bournemouth were bright from the off as they looked to press Arsenal's defence and not give them any time on the ball.

The opening exchanges were fairly even as Sanchez carved out a couple of half chances for the Gunners, but it was the Cherries who opened the scoring in the 16th minute.

Daniels was found in yards of space on the edge of the penalty box by a fine Junior Stanislas cross-field pass, and the left-back cut inside Hector Bellerin, leaving the Spaniard stranded, before clipping the ball past Petr Cech.

Just five minutes later, things got significantly worse as Granit Xhaka lazily and needlessly downed Fraser in the box and conceded a penalty.

Wilson's spot-kick was far from emphatic as he side-footed down the middle, but Cech was beaten having dived to his left.

Per football presenter Mark Pougatch, Arsene Wenger's side were in turmoil:

Things did not improve much for the visitors after going 2-0 down, and only a brilliantly timed Mustafi tackle prevented Wilson from having a golden chance to make it three before half-time.

Arsenal were improved after the break but still could not register a shot on target. It was Bournemouth who had the ball in the net again 10 minutes into the second half, but it was ruled out after Harry Arter's lashed effort hit Wilson on the arm.

In the 58th minute, though, it was 3-0 after Bellerin was muscled off the ball by Fraser on the left and the Scotsman burst into the box before finishing through Cech's legs, per The Times' Henry Winter:

Arsenal looked to have no answer, and Eddie Howe's Cherries continued to dominate the chances. But Sanchez gave the Gunners a lifeline in the 70th minute after heading home Giroud's glance at the far post.

Perez then netted the goal of the game 15 minutes from time as he fired a perfectly placed left-footed volley into the corner, with Giroud again involved in the buildup.

Per Squawka, it was a first for the Spaniard and set up a tense finish:

Bournemouth were reduced to 10 men for the last 10 minutes when captain Simon Francis was shown a straight red card for a rash challenge on Ramsey.

An Arsenal siege on the Bournemouth goal followed, and the hosts' defence was broken again in the dying moments when Giroud back-headed Xhaka's lofted cross into the net.

Post-Match Reaction 

Wenger bemoaned the fixture congestion after the match, with Bournemouth having had an extra day off since their fixture on New Year's Eve, per Tom Rostance on BBC Sport:

"

Bournemouth deserve a lot of credit but the disadvantage is too big to play against a team with three and a half days recovery. That’s too big a handicap. But they are a good team with quality and they played with pace. [...]

It was not a result we wanted before the game but at 3-0 down we’d have signed for 3-3.  We were unlucky in some decisions tonight.

"

Meanwhile, Howe did not feel Francis deserved to be sent off and felt the decision had an impact on the result, per Rostance: "Fate conspired against us in several ways. I didn't think it was a sending off. I thought that was harsh but in the end, the quality of their players showed."