Universities may soon begin offering PhDs in attempting to understand Arsenal, the English side whose maddening consistency never fails to confound. Two days after stinging Crystal Palace at the Emirates, Arsenal travelled to Bournemouth, and decided not to play for the first seventy minutes or so, allowing Bournemouth to race into a 3-0 lead.
They came from behind, however, and secured a 3-3 draw in the stoppage time.
The first was scored by Charlie Daniels, after Hector Bellerin went walkabout:
Callum Wilson made it 2-0 from the penalty spot, meaning Arsenal were 2-0 down at half-time without having a shot on target. It was then 3-0, as Ryan Fraser nudged Bellerin off the ball to scamper into the penalty area before slotting past Petr Cech. Cue Arsenal Fan Meltdown.
It happened in the ground:
"This is embarrassing," sing the #afc fans. Hard to disagree with that.
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) January 3, 2017
And it happened on that squaking echo box which best documents the Arsenal Anguish: Twitter. Beginning with the official account, who interspersed a half-time rallying call with a strong emoji game:
😐
Daniels slots past Cech at the far post#BOUvAFC 1-0 (17)— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 3, 2017
It goes from bad to worse...
Wilson converts from the penalty spot#BOUvAFC 2-0 (21)— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 3, 2017
That first half was simply not good enough - now we need a big performance to put it right
Let's do this, @Arsenal!#BOUvAFC 2-0 (46) pic.twitter.com/4Ri0Qe6zz8— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 3, 2017
😡#BOUvAFC 3-0 (58)
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 3, 2017
A search of 'New Year Same Old Arsenal' proved fruitful:
I really don't wanna be tweeting "New Year, same old Arsenal 🙄" tomorrow pls
— Aoi Tōdō (@Nxdif) December 31, 2016
New year same old Arsenal
— Jake Rowe (@JakeRowe1) January 3, 2017
It was largely considered Hector Bellerin's worst performance in some time:
Today's culprit is Bellerin. So poor tonight
— Daddy (@Yemzine) January 3, 2017
Bellerin's just coming to terms with being knocked over by the wee boy from Year 7 who got picked to play for the Year 10s team
— Sam Wallace (@SamWallaceTel) January 3, 2017
is bellerin not meant to be fast? he's just been absolutely destroyed in a foot race by a scot
— Ken Early (@kenearlys) January 3, 2017
At 3-0, and Arsenal reaching Peak Anguish, they hit back: Alexis Sanchez steering home from close range before a stunning Lucas Perez gave Arsenal hope with fifteen minutes left:
Hope is a fucking menace.
— Stephen Bradley (@bradley08) January 3, 2017
That was a great goal by Perez, but I'm too angry to celebrate it. #afc
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 3, 2017
Simon Francis was then sent-off for Bournemouth, as they defended their ever-disappearing lead. Harshly, was the consensus:
Another dodgy red. Stupid lunge but hardly a leg breaker.
— David McIntyre (@DaveMcIntyreIRL) January 3, 2017
And then, in the first minute of six added minutes....
INCREDIBLE.@_OlivierGiroud_ rises to head beyond Boruc - and we're desperate to go on the attack again...#BOUvAFC 3-3 (90) pic.twitter.com/PoxbSIBfjC
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 3, 2017
This was a glancing header, rather than a season-beguiling scorpion kick, but they certainly all count. But the Arsenal account weren't exactly telling the full truth in that tweet:
Giroud dicking around with his new scorpion celebration at the expense of looking for a winner is the most wonderful and giroud thing
— Samuel Ruback (@samuelruback) January 3, 2017
Crazy: Arsenal goes from down 0-3 to 3-3. Giroud with the worst goal celebration by a Frenchman since Christophe Dugarry in World Cup '98.
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) January 3, 2017
Niall Quinn deemed coming from behind a the Stuff of Champions, but surely champions would not have started playing at 3-0 down? Still, fair play to Arsenal for nicking something, particularly given they played 48 hours ago. Arsenal's unique, gorgeous torment goes on.
