Arsenal applied the pressure to Manchester City in the Premier League title race after a routine victory over Bournemouth. Mikel Arteta’s men extended their lead at the top of the table to four points, although the Citizens have still got two games in hand.
All the Gunners can do is win their remaining games and hope their rivals slip-up along the way. Andoni Iraola’s men were aware they would be in for a long afternoon at the Emirates as the north London side started the game firing on all cylinders. Despite controlling the game completely, the hosts had to wait until the 45th minute to take the lead through a Bukayo Saka penalty after Kai Havertz was fouled in the box.
From there, it looked like a formality and a further goals from Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice wrapped up the three points despite increasing pressure from the away team. Bournemouth remain firmly in midtable after the game, having reached their highest-ever Premier League points tally.
Arsenal vs Bournemouth Statistics | ||
---|---|---|
Arsenal | Statistics | Bournemouth |
9 | Shots on Target | 2 |
15 | Shots off Target | 5 |
56% | Possession | 44% |
12 | Fouls | 8 |
6 | Corners | 0 |
Arsenal Player Ratings
GK – David Raya – 6/10
Raya secured the Golden Glove award for the 2023/24 season as he kept his 15th clean sheet of the campaign. The Spaniard had very little to do as the defenders in front of him dealt with any potential threat from Dominic Solanke and co. Swept up well at the start of the second half as the opposition looked like they may break through. He did get fortunate to be given a foul as the Cherries had a goal ruled out.
RB – Ben White – 6/10
Was always willing to run beyond Saka to give an option on the overlap, but White was less involved in an attacking sense compared to some of his recent performances. The defender never put a foot wrong in or out of possession and looked an assured presence in the Gunners’ side.
CB – William Saliba – 7/10
Saliba had very little to do in the first 45 minutes of the match, but his importance grew as the visitors began to have a go at the Gunners in the second half. His recovery pace helped his side out several times as the home side looked at risk of being caught out with long balls over the top.
CB – Gabriel – 6/10
Took responsibility to go up against Solanke physically and did well against the in-form striker. Provided a threat in the opposing penalty area as the Gunners continued to be a real danger from set-piece situations. In the end, it was a quiet game for the Brazilian. Gabriel was unfortunate to have his late rocket ruled out for offside.
LB: Takehiro Tomiyasu – 6/10
Tomiyasu squandered a huge opportunity to open the scoring as he saw his header cleared off the line after connecting with a Saka corner. The Japan international spent most the game ni the opposing half rather than his own.
DM: Thomas Partey – 6/10
Controlled the middle of the park well in possession and could have even got on the scoresheet. Partey was wasteful with the first chance that fell his way before forcing a strong save from Travers with a left-footed effort. Did well to keep his team ticking with clever pass choices.
CM: Declan Rice – 9/10
Thrived in a more advanced role in the Gunners’ midfield. Constantly picked the ball up and drove his side forward, but missed a huge chance to find the net as he fired a volley wide form inside the penalty area. Played a huge part in Trossard’s goal with a lovely flick into the Belgian’s path before getting on the scoresheet himself.
CM: Martin Odegaard – 7/10
The biggest creative force in the Arsenal team throughout the match, Odegaard played a huge role in the important penalty that broke the deadlock for the hosts. His wonderful through ball was latched onto by Havertz, who was then fouled by Travers.
RW: Bukayo Saka – 8/10
The English winger caused constant headaches for Outtara on the right flank. He started extremely brightly in the match and continued to look the most likely man to break the deadlock despite being lucky to avoid serious injury after a bad tackle from Christie. Slotted his penalty in with incredible composure despite the pressure on his shoulders.
ST: Kai Havertz – 8/10
Played like a player full of confidence, regularly pulling the Bournemouth centre-backs out of position with his clever movement. Presented a glorious chance with a smart header, but Rice rifled his effort wide of the target. Won the penalty with another intelligent run and touch past the goalkeeper.
LW: Leandro Trossard – 7/10
Took his goal extremely well and relieved some of the pressure his side were facing at the time. The Belgian had worked hard to get involved but struggled for large parts prior to his strike. He once again displayed his clinical nature when provided with a chance.
SUB – Gabriel Martinell – 6/10
Almost made an instant impact as he ran through and appealed for a penalty after going to ground just seconds after replacing Trossard.
SUB – Gabriel Jesus – N/A
Brought on to replace Havertz in the final five minutes, but the Brazilian wasn’t on the pitch for long enough to make an impact.
Bournemouth Player Ratings
GK – Mark Travers – 6/10
The Irish shot-stopper denied Saka and Partey inside the opening half an hour as the home team threatened to make a breakthrough early on. WIll be disappointed to have given away a penalty after allowing Havertz the opportunity to go to ground under contact. He continued to make some decent saves in the second half from the likes of Havertz and Saka.
RB – Adam Smith – 5/10
Did well to keep Leandro Trossard relatively quiet for the most part until he lost track of his man for the second Arsenal goal. Smith had an easier job on the day than Outtara on the other side of the defence.
CB – Ilia Zabarnyi – 5/10
Caught in possession on a few occasions and responsible for allowing Havertz to run through and win the penalty, the defender struggled upon his return to the line-up. His speed did help him recover well on occasion, but Zabarnyi struggled to keep track of his opposing striker.
CB – Marcos Senesi – 6/10
Put in a few vital blocks in the early exchanges for the visitors to prevent Arsenal’s relentless flow of attacks in the first 20 minutes. Senesi fought well but failed to deal with Havertz physically on several occasions before being replaced.
LB – Dango Outtara – 4/10
Had a torrid time in an extremely unfamiliar role on the left-hand side of the Bournemouth backline. Outtara was tasked with the difficult challenge of stopping Saka from having an impact on the game. The English winger ran the Cherries’ makeshift left-back ragged for the majority of the game.
CM – Lewis Cook – 5/10
Worked extremely hard in the middle of the park and also regularly shuffled over to the left in an attempt to help Ouattara deal with the threat of Saka. Struggled to have a massive impact on the ball.
CM – Ryan Christie – 5/10
As industrious as ever, Christie did the majority of his work in his own half, but was always a willing runner on the rare occasions the Cherries got forward. The Scot’s work rate was faultless throughout, although he may have been unlucky to avoid punishment for a challenge on Saka.
RW: Antoine Semenyo – 5/10
Semenyo grew into the game in the second half of the match, as was the case for the majority of Iraoloa’s men. It was a miracle the winger was able to start the game after being stretchered off against Brighton in the previous match. The Ghana international put in a lot of effort and linked up well with his teammates when they got a foothold in the game.
AM – Alex Scott – 4/10
The youngster is usually at his best when getting on the ball and driving forward or looking for a killer pass. However, Scott ended up playing a much deeper role than usual due to the Arsenal midfield’s stranglehold on the game. He worked hard but struggled to keep up with the speed of the match.
LW – Justin Kluivert – 6/10
There were glimpses of the impressive form the Dutchman has shown of late with some neat and tidy touches in the opening 10 minutes, but Kluivert spent the majority of his time trying to assist his left-back and tracking Ben White’s forward runs.
ST – Dominic Solanke – 6/10
Solanke was always going to be in for a difficult task against Gabriel and Saliba, but the Bournemouth forward gave as good as he got physically. Struggled to sniff out any clear-cut chances due to a lack of service. He had one opportunity on his left foot, but the angle made it difficult for the Englishman to worry Raya in the Arsenal goal.
SUB – Philip Billing – 5/10
Had 20 minutes to make an impression on the game as he was introduced just after Trossard’s goal. He was heavily involved in the controversial decision to disallow a Bournemouth goal, but failed to get into the game other than that.
SUB – Enes Unal – N/A
Brought on to try and get the visitors back into the game but failed to make an impression.
SUB – Romain Faivre – N/A
Didn’t have enough time on the pitch to make a significant impact.
SUB – Max Aarons – N/A
Didn’t have enough time on the pitch to make a significant impact.
Man of the Match
Declan Rice
The English midfielder has been one of the standout performers of the 2023.24 season for the Gunners, and he made a significant impact on this game. Rice was a constant driving force for the home team in the advanced role he’s been given since Partey’s return to the side.
His speed and power is a nightmare for opposing midfielders to deal with and the England international bullied the Bournemouth engine room throughout. His telling impact came when he set up Trossard’s goal just when things looked to be getting nervy. He capped off a brilliant performance with a well-taken goal in the closing stages.