CHERRIES suffered a heart-breaking defeat away at the Emirates, surrendering a two-goal lead to lose 3-2.

Fans were still taking their seats when Philip Billing opened scores after nine seconds, the second-fastest goal in Premier League history.

Defender Marcos Senesi provided a second 10 minutes after the restart, but the league leaders would not allow their title charge to be dented, pulling one back through Thomas Partey before Ben White supplied an equaliser 20 minutes from time.

Reiss Nelson fired home the winner deep into added time.

Gary O’Neil was forced into two changes to the side that started the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City, Jefferson Lerma and Hamed Traore both ruled out due to injury.

In their stead came Joe Rothwell and Antoine Semenyo, both players making their second Premier League starts of the campaign.

Cherries made a breath-taking start to the game, swarming forward from their own kick-off.

Rothwell played the ball out wide to Dango Ouattara, who threaded the ball into the box for Billing to poke home and silence the buoyant Emirates Stadium.

The hosts were briefly taken aback by going behind, but quickly started to put Cherries under pressure.

Martin Odegaard forced Neto to dive low to his far post from the edge of the area, Cherries’ captain quickly springing back to his feet to deny Bukayo Saka at the rebound.

Arsenal sustained pressure on the Cherries goal without drawing blood, the away side content to sit back and sting their hosts on the break.

They had a fantastic chance to do so when Billing and Dom Solanke strode forward.

The Dane was slipped in by the striker, Billing supplying a cross into the box for the unmarked Solanke and Ouattara.

However, the ball split the difference between the two, allowing former Cherry Aaron Ramsdale the chance to close down Ouattara and deny the Burkinabe a first Premier League goal.

Cherries managed to get into the break unscathed, but the opening exchanges of the second-half followed the same pattern of the first period.

Arsenal suffocated Cherries into their own box, with the away side looking for oxygen in the form of counter attacks.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta introduced Poole-born White into the affair at the break in a bid to get back into the game.

Despite the near constant pressure they were placed under, Cherries found opportunities to earn set-pieces in the opposition half.

A rare corner was capitalised upon by Senesi, the Argentine heading home Rothwell’s cross to give Cherries a two-goal lead.

Shellshocked by being two behind, the Gunners came hunting for a way back into the game.

They were almost given the chance when Jack Stephens sliced a clearance over his bar, but the home side would take advantage of the resultant corner.

Neto punched the ball away, only for it to be recycled and blasted home by Partey shortly after the hour mark.

Undeterred, Cherries looked to respond immediately, going up the other end and drawing a save out of Ramsdale via Solanke.

However, momentum was with the home side, who found an equaliser with 20 minutes to go.

Nelson found space on the left, enabling him to whip a ball to the back post for fellow substitute White.

The right-back slammed the ball into the net, with Neto getting his gloves to it but unable to claw away before it had fully crossed the line.

Cherries remained on the back foot for the closing stages, looking to take at least a point from north London.

It was not to be for Cherries, conceding their 15th goal from a set-piece this term.

Cherries dealt with the cross at the corner, but not the free man on the edge of the area.

Nelson was on hand to smack home and snatch all three points.

Cherries: Neto; Smith, Mepham, Stephens, Senesi, Zemura (Fredericks, 64); Rothwell (Cook, 70), Billing; Ouattara (Christie, 82), Solanke, Semenyo (Anthony, 64).

Unused subs: Travers (g/k), Randolph (g/k), Stacey, Moore, Pollock.

Booked: Neto, Mepham.

Arsenal: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu (White, h-t), Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Vieira (Xhaka, 84) ; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Trossard (Smith-Rowe, 22 (Nelson, 69)).

Unused subs: Holding, Kiwior, Tierney, Jorginho, Turner (g/k).

Booked: Referee: Christopher Kavanagh.