Aubameyang goal gives Arsenal 2-1 win at Bournemouth

REUTERS - Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions on Sunday with a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth that moved them within a point of the Premier League’s top four.

The home team’s record signing Jefferson Lerma, who cost 25 million pounds ($32 million) in August, scored a spectacular own goal to give Arsenal the lead but Norwegian international Josh King, back for Bournemouth after injury, equalised just before halftime.

That meant Unai Emery’s team have still not led at the halfway stage of a league game since he joined in the close-season.

Pierre-emerick Aubameyang slid in the Gunners’ second goal in the 68th minute and their three-man back line held out, although Lerma hit a post.

Arsenal can make up ground on their big local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who are still three points ahead of them, by winning the north London derby next weekend.

Bournemouth stayed eighth after a third successive defeat in a testing period, with fixtures against leaders Manchester City and second-placed Liverpool to come in the first eight days of December.

They felt unfortunate in having an early effort by David Brooks controversially disallowed for offside, but tended to cause their own problems by losing possession too easily.