Junior Kroupi put Bournemouth ahead at the Emirates after 17 minutes before Viktor Gyokeres equalised from the spot. Alex Scott's 74th-minute strike then sealed a result that blew the title race open, with City going on to beat Chelsea 3-0 on Sunday to close the gap to six points.
The former Arsenal and England goalkeeper, speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast alongside Jeff Stelling and Andy Townsend, was candid about what he witnessed. "I don't think they will be talking about the nerves but they were certainly nervous on Saturday, I was there and you could see that," Seaman said.
He was generous to Bournemouth but insistent that a side chasing the title must do better. "All credit to Bournemouth because they played really well but when you are a team going for the league, you need to be dominating these sorts of games."
Seaman then addressed the crowd directly. "I think the nerves did take over a little bit, you can feel the tension in the crowd when things go wrong but it's vitally important that those fans stay behind the team. Thousands are always behind us but the players are aware when it gets a little bit spicy."
His advice drew on personal experience. "I remember in Euro '96, we had a load of pressure put on us by everyone outside the game but we just shut up shop and we concentrated on what we did. This is what Arsenal need to do, get themselves away from all these added pressures and go and play their game."
Seaman pointed to the midweek trip to Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-final as an opportunity to reset. "We're lucky we have a game midweek and people will think Man City have a free week, they're going to be rested but we have a chance to get that game against Bournemouth result out of our system by getting a good result against Sporting."
Arsenal remain six points clear at the top with a game in hand, but their next league fixture is away at Manchester City. Arteta's side have now lost three of their last four games across all competitions, and the nerves Seaman described are unlikely to ease before then.