Bizarre Own-Goal Helps Arsenal Pop Cherries

As the old blues song goes ...

If it wasn't for bad luck
I wouldn't have no luck at all

Putting proper grammar aside for the moment, that's Bournemouth's plight right now.

The Cherries were knocking on big brand doors at the Premiership's top flight before being plagued with two 2-1 losses on the trot. And now this happens.

 

OK, that's a metaphor, but it makes the point.

The Cherries dropped another one-goal decision -- this time 1-2 to Arsenal -- and it was doom of their own making.

The match began ominously, too. Bournemouth opened as the aggressor and even appeared to be first on the board in the 8th minute. However, David Brooks' close-range goal was disallowed for offside.

 

For what it's worth, Arsenal responded with a bitta futility of their own when Lucas Torreira saw his effort smashing into the post. 

However, the next time was a charm.

In the 30th, Sead Kolašinac was looking for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inside the area, but Jonathan Lerma intercepted the cross and attempted to clear the play with a volley. Unfortunately for him and his cause, dude ended up slotting home a wacky own goal beyond 'keeper Asmir Begović. 

 

The Cherries are nothing if not persistent, though.

At the 45+1 mark, Brooks assisted Josh King, who found Bernd Leno's top corner:

 

After the break, both teams had early chances to score, but the game was decided only in the 66th minute, through Aubameyang.

Kolašinac was picked up on the left wing and dimed the Gabonese striker for football's version of a gimme:

 

And there it was, a third straight defeat.

Nine points on offer and none converted doesn't make for encouraging reading in Bournemouth:

The Gunners, meanwhile, left the South Coast whistling past the graveyard after opening up a five-point advantage on Everton.