After Reiss Nelson scored a dramatic winning goal for Arsenal against Bournemouth, it felt like a million things were happening at once..
The winger, who was effectively only in the Gunners’ matchday squad due to Eddie Nketiah’s ankle injury, made quite an impact after replacing Emile Smith Rowe in the 69th minute, claiming the assist for Ben White’s goal, which brought the home side back to 2-2.
But, with Arsenal facing the prospect of dropping points at home against a relegation-threatened side, Nelson popped up with his third and potentially most important goal of the season so far – a stunning strike given the circumstances.
Inside the Emirates Stadium, there were wild scenes from supporters, Mikel Arteta, Arsenal players, and coaching staff alike. There was a lot going on before everyone got into a celebratory huddle, from Ben White celebrating right in front of Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto to William Saliba brilliantly kicking the corner flag.
Nelson, who scored a 97th-minute winner to keep Arsenal five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, appeared to be the calmest person inside the stadium.
Meanwhile, as the ball hit the back of the net, Martin Odegaard collapsed to the ground..
The Arsenal captain was clearly the farthest away, as his inswinging corner was headed away, only for the ball to fall kindly for the club’s Hale End graduate on the edge of the box.
Eventually, the Norway international rose from the floor to join in the team celebrations, and after the game, he took to Instagram to express his feelings with a four-word message that read: “This is the Arsenal!!,” prompting responses from Nelson and Gunners legend Ian Wright.
A simple but effective message from the Arsenal captain, as Arteta reflected on what turned out to be a whirlwind afternoon in N5, as the hosts conceded after nine seconds, found themselves two goals down, and then completed a comeback.
“Everyone is overwhelmed,” the Spaniard said after the game in a press conference. “It was madness from the first seconds with that routine and we defended so poorly. Then we had to climb a mountain while being chased by ten men behind the ball. We tried everything, we didn’t score, and now we’re 2-0 down from a set play..
“After that it was don’t lose shape or discipline, do all the simple things right and we did that. We demonstrated a high level of maturity and resilience. After we scored one, the atmosphere and energy changed. 31 shots and when scored second then it was ‘throw the toys out and let’s go for it..
The subs had a significant impact, and I am overjoyed for Reiss today. In the end, it was an incredible day.”
Leave a Reply