Arsenal star issues bizarre excuse for huge miss in title race slip up as he criticises own stadium

Ed Griffiths
Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:47:17 +0000

Viktor Gyokeres has drawn fierce criticism from supporters after bizarre excuses for his missed chances during Arsenal's defeat to Bournemouth, including the state of the Emirates Stadium turf.

Speaking following Saturday's 2-1 loss, the Swedish striker offered what many considered an unusual explanation for his wayward finishing.

Gyokeres said: "We had some chances in the end. The pitch was a bit dry, which didn't help."

The 27-year-old, who converted a penalty to briefly level the scores, acknowledged his side needed improvement whilst maintaining an optimistic outlook.

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He told BBC Match of the Day: "I'm very confident. We don't need to get stuck too much on what happened today. We need to look forward and be positive."

Social media users wasted no time condemning the striker's remarks, with many branding them "shameless."

One supporter highlighted the absurdity of the complaint, writing: "Pitch was a bit dry, he said... Bro doesn't remember that it's actually their own home."

Another fan said: "The pitch was watered at half-time. I was there, I saw it. Basically, you should say you were beaten by a better team on the day."

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara joined the mockery, quipping that Gyokeres "needs a swimming pool."

Others simply labelled the north London club "Excuses FC" following the controversial interview.

The result at the Emirates represented a significant setback for Mikel Arteta's squad, who had entered the fixture hoping to extend their advantage at the summit.

Eli Junior Kroupi netted his 10th Premier League goal of the campaign to put Bournemouth ahead after 17 minutes, before Ryan Christie's handball presented Arsenal with a spot-kick opportunity.

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Gyokeres dispatched the penalty past Đorđe Petrović to restore parity.

Andoni Iraola's visitors regained the lead through Alex Scott's 74th-minute finish.

The Gunners managed just three efforts on target throughout the contest, with Gyokeres blazing over from close range late on before heading wide in stoppage time.

Some supporters departed early, whilst others remained to voice their displeasure at full-time.

Arteta described the defeat as "a big punch in the face" and acknowledged his team produced "a lot of strange things" during the encounter.

The loss leaves Arsenal nine points clear of Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola's side possesses two matches in hand and can reduce the deficit when they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea today.

Should City prevail against the Blues, defeat Burnley on 22 April, and overcome Arsenal at the Etihad next weekend, both clubs would be level on points with five fixtures remaining.

Before that potentially decisive Manchester clash, the Gunners must navigate Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting CP.