EPL: Arsenal lose at home as Vardy scores 199th Leicester goal in rare win

Arsenal conceded twice in the second half to suffer a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth in their English Premier League (EPL) encounter on Saturday.

The Gunners, despite an upcoming UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg match in midweek, fielded their strongest possible XI but were pegged back by Andoni Iraola’s exciting side despite taking the lead.

Declan Rice put Arsenal ahead, but Dean Huijsen and Evanilson’s goals flattened their hosts, who lost from a winning position.

Rice celebrated his 100th match in Arsenal’s colours with the opener. The England international rounded the goalkeeper and dispatched into an empty net to give Mikel Arteta’s side the lead going into the interval.

Iraola’s side mounted an unlikely comeback from the hour mark, with Huijsen planting a header into the net in the 67th minute from Antoine Semenyo’s long throw, before Evanilson completed the comeback eight minutes later with a bundled finish from a corner kick.

The final whistle confirmed Bournemouth’s first-ever win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The North London side remain second with 67 points from 35 matches, three ahead of third-placed Manchester City, the recently deposed champions.

In other matches, Jamie Vardy scored his 199th goal for Leicester City in their 2-0 win over Southampton, a fellow relegated side. Vardy, who is leaving the Foxes after 13 years and an EPL title, swept home on 17 minutes before Jordan Ayew’s clincher as Leicester won their first EPL match in 12 attempts.

Wilfred Ndidi, Super Eagles midfielder, played all 90 minutes of the dead rubber match.

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