Arsenal's clash with Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday may have been viewed by some as a potential routine win for the Premier League leaders, but the home side were made to sweat for a full 90 minutes in a five-goal thriller. The action started just nine seconds in as Phillip Billing stroked home a cross that came from an attack on kick-off.
The Gunners were caught cold as they struggled to react to being a goal down and before they knew it, that deficit had doubled through Marcos Senesi just before the hour mark. It would take a remarkable final half-an-hour to turn things around, but there was hope when Thomas Partey found the back of the net in the 62nd minute.
Ben White then turned the potential for a turnaround into a reality as he scored his first Arsenal goal just eight minutes later. While that quick burst of two goals created a chance for all three points, it seemed as though the game was drifting towards two dropped points.
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Then up stepped Reiss Nelson, who volleyed the ball from the edge of the box into the back of the net in the 97th minute to send the whole of the Emirates into rapturous scenes. It was a huge win for the Gunners after a point of desperation and the sort that is often associated with champions.
As always the national media have given their verdict on the clash, so with that said, here's a look at how they reacted to the late victory.
The Guardian
The Guardian claims that the late victory could be title defining by the end of the season, offering a huge moment for Arsenal in their pursuit of being crowned champions. The match report reads: "If Arsenal do what, with each passing week, seems increasingly likely then this moment will resound through the years.
"The best title-winning campaigns all contain those flashes in time that set fate’s course: as Arsenal’s substitutes and coaching staff piled on to the pitch in delirium, the Emirates stands a blur of limbs and faces to an extent rarely seen, it was hard not to feel that Reiss Nelson had conjured one."
The Telegraph
The Telegraph believed the game could be a moment where the dream of winning a title again is being realised with each and every game, claiming: "A dream is becoming a reality in north London, crystallising in real time in front of the eyes of the players and fans.
"If Arsenal do go on to win this Premier League title, there will be moments they look back upon as decisive. This was one of those. Perhaps it will turn out to be the defining moment of their journey, of their revival as a genuine force of English football."
The Mirror
The Mirror also believe the victory could be a defining one for the side during a period of the season where games across the whole division get tougher. The report reads: "Games that appear routine wins will be anything but in the final stretch of the campaign and this clash in north London highlighted that. Arsenal though showed a character that will have had a deflating impact on their rivals watching on."
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