There’s still a very long way to go. I agree that Leicester now is the favourite but we have a big game at home now against them and I believe we have enough quality and nerves to deal with that.”
The questions that were mounting above Arsenal over recent weeks had certainly related more to their collective nerve than quality. They had gone four games without winning before Sunday and, having also waited 328 minutes for a Premier League goal, they settled this game by striking twice in a sudden 88-second period of the first-half.
Mesut Ozil emphatically finished the first with something of a collector’s item on his right foot before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain delivered an even rarer finish to end what had been 17-month wait for a Premier League goal.
Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud were also hugely instrumental in Arsenal establishing their decisive two-goal ascendancy although they could easily have been reduced to 10 men even before the match had settled into any rhythm.
Only eight minutes had passed when the ball rolled in front of Mathieu Flamini and, while he did reach it before Dan Gosling, the studs-up, two-footed nature of his lunge would surely have resulted in a red rather than yellow card from a more officious referee than Kevin Friend. Eddie Howe was right to assert that Friend’s decision altered the entire complexion of the match but he did also acknowledge Arsenal’s early dominance.
Arsenal’s attacking statistics
It had been a slight surprise to see Flamini starting at all rather than the newly available Francis Coquelin in the holding midfield position but he has developed a decent understanding with Ramsey and Arsenal did soon establish their ascendancy. Giroud was again underlining his all-round worth as the main central striker by dropping deep to link Arsenal’s attacks and allow the various attacking midfield runners to break into space.
A ball forward by Ramsey was cleverly dummied by Giroud, only for Alexis Sanchez to aim an excellent chance high and wide. Ramsey then played another precise pass in the direction of Giroud, who attracted the attention of two Bournemouth defenders before showing outstanding vision even as he leapt into the air to deftly cushioned his header back for Ozil to volley past Artur Boruc. Even Wenger was taken aback by the power of Ozil’s weaker foot. “It was very interesting for us - if he starts to score with his right he will become even stronger,” he said.
Within 90 seconds of the restart, the score was 2-0 and the match effectively over. Steve Cook lost possession just outside his own penalty area, with Ramsey pouncing to release Oxlade-Chamberlain down the right who was to vindicate a rare Premier League start with his first away goal for Arsenal.
Bournemouth have already been overwhelmed this season by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur but damage limitation remains utterly alien to their mindset and they subsequently underlined their progress this season by then taking the game to Arsenal.
True, the threat to Petr Cech’s goal was only occasional but, by the final whistle, Bournemouth had collectively forced three outstanding saves for his 12th clean sheet of the season.
Harry Arter went closest of all in the first-half, prompting a brilliant one-handed moment of acrobatics from a dipping shot before Marc Pugh and Adam Smith threatened. A wonderful dribble out of defence by Charlie Daniels also created space for Matt Ritchie but his usually reliable left-foot was off target. Cech, though, was required to make a superb double-save when Cook drilled Joshua King’s pull-back through a crowded penalty area and then Arter shot to his near-post on the follow-up.
Wenger did eventually introduce Coquelin alongside Flamini in an attempt to stifle Bournemouth’s pressure and Arsenal were better balanced in the closing minutes. Sanchez, who still looks short of match fitness, broke forward and forced a save by Boruc while Giroud and Ramsey also tested the Bournemouth goalkeeper.
Such moments of profligacy were so forgotten, with Wenger later acknowledging that it had been a day when only the result mattered. “For two reasons,” he said. “One, we haven’t won for a while.
Four games is a long period, confidence drops a little bit. Also, with Leicester running away and us playing them next week, it was very important to make that game interesting. We had to win.”
- Telegraph