Bournemouth 1-1 Manchester City: Arsenal win Premier League as Cherries reach Europe for first time | OneFootball

Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth crowned Arsenal as Premier League champions, while also confirming that the Cherries will be playing European football next season for the first time in their history.

Bournemouth came into the game unbeaten in their last 16 matches and they showed why that was so. Their left-hand side was strong throughout the game and it led to their opener when Adrien Truffert and Marcus Tavernier linking up before being played into Junior Kroupi who finished emphatically.

Manchester City were poor and failed to create. Bournemouth shut them out effectively, with few chances for the visitors although Erling Haaland pulled one goal back late on, but it was not going to be enough.

Dropped points mean that Manchester City are mathematically out of the title race and thus Arsenal have been crowned as Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years.

As it happened

Needing no less than a win to take the Premier League title race to the final day, an early chance for Jérémy Doku looked promising for Manchester City as he dropped the shoulder to move onto his weaker left foot. His shot did not get the force he would have wanted behind it and made it a simple save in the end for Djordje Petrovic.

The visitors thought they had found the opener after just 12 minutes when Erling Haaland received the ball just inside the Bournemouth half before sending ex-Cherries forward Antoine Semenyo through on goal, only for the offside flag to be raised.

Soon after, Evanilson was left wondering how he failed to put the hosts ahead. Some brilliant play between Adrien Truffert and Marcus Tavernier saw the latter deliver a ball across the face of goal; Evanilson should have buried the chance with ease but instead saw his effort fly over the bar before the offside flag was raised.

But it was teenager Junior Kroupi who eventually found the breakthrough for the hosts towards the end of the first half. It was Bournemouth’s left-hand side that had proved fruitful again, with Tavernier playing the ball down the line to Truffert who pulled it back to Kroupi on the edge of the area. He opened up his body and finished superbly, curling it into the top right-hand corner.

Manchester City should have drawn level almost immediately after the break through Nico O’Reilly. Excellent work from Haaland saw the Norwegian breeze past the Bournemouth defence and slide O’Reilly through on goal, and while the full-back should have done better, Petrovic was on hand to make the save.

With the Premier League title slipping out of reach, Pep Guardiola turned to his bench, with Semenyo one of the three players making way for fresh legs. The forward, who only departed the Cherries in January, received a standing ovation from the home fans.

But still, Bournemouth were on top. Andoni Iraola’s side struck the post through Rayan before the Brazilian forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into action after an O’Reilly cross.

A lively finale on the South Coast could have seen David Brooks double Bournemouth’s lead, first seeing a back post effort smothered by Donnarumma before striking the woodwork after running behind the Manchester City defence.

Instead though, it was Manchester City who found the second goal of the evening to ignite late hopes of a comeback victory as a spell of pinball inside the box saw Rodri smash an effort against the woodwork before an emphatic Haaland finish ricocheted off the post and over the line.

It proved to be too little, too late for Pep Guardiola’s men though, as Arsenal are crowned Premier League champions. Bournemouth have confirmed European football for the first time in their history, and could yet seal a place in the UEFA Champions League on the final day of the season.