Arsenal's Premier League title bid was hit by a stunning 2-1 loss to Bournemouth at home on Saturday.
The league leader blew the chance to move 12 points clear of second-place Manchester City after losing for the third time in four games in all competitions.
“It's a big punch in the face,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports. “It has to hurt, and you have to take it on the chin.”
Alex Scott struck a 74th-minute winner at the Emirates to pile pressure on Arsenal ahead of next week's top-of-the-table clash at City.
Arteta's team has played two more games than City, which travels to Chelsea on Sunday and could close the gap to six points.
"There are no gray areas now. You stand up and go for the fight, or you’re out and that’s it,” Arteta said.
Arsenal’s form appears to be slipping at a crucial point of the season. Defeats to City in the English League Cup final and second-division Southampton in the FA Cup ended its pursuit of a quadruple of trophies.
It won 1-0 in the Champions League against Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday, but the latest loss will only heighten tension in the race for the title after three straight years of finishing runner-up in England's top flight.
Arsenal now faces a huge week when it plays Sporting in the second leg of Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday and then travels to City's Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Bournemouth went ahead inside 17 minutes through Junior Kroupi’s close-range goal. Viktor Gyokeres leveled the score from the penalty spot in the 35th, but Arsenal struggled to create openings and Scott sealed the victory that potentially blew the title race open.
Bournemouth has now won in back-to-back seasons at Arsenal and set a new club record run of 12 games unbeaten in the Premier League.
While Arsenal remains in the driver's seat at the top of the standings, the form guide does not make good reading from Arteta’s perspective.
League stats provider Opta said before kickoff that the Arsenal manager’s Premier League win percentage in April was 44%, compared to 79% for City's Pep Guardiola.
“It’s a big week,” Arteta said. “It’s a lot at stake. We’re still in a really good position in both competitions, but we need to do better.”
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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