Gunners put nightmare behind them

Arsenal 2-0 Bournemouth

Arsenal bounced back from that disappointing defeat to Southampton with a crucial win against Bournemouth on Monday night.

Having suffered a real drubbing at St Mary’s the Gunners couldn’t afford to slip up again and that pressure on the team as a whole showed in the opening minutes as Arsenal started rather sluggishly.

Arsene Wenger made several changes to the side that had lost at Southampton with Gabriel and Gibbs coming into the back four, while Callum chambers filled in alongside Ramsey as the defensive midfielder and Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced Joel Campbell.

The changes didn’t help with the Gunners fluidity as they took their time to achieve a coherent understanding when in possession. Throughout the opening minutes in fact, the home side appeared really shorn of ideas as they struggled to get the ball forward and all too often passed it amongst themselves at the back.

On the other side, Bournemouth were having some success in reaching the final third rather easily at times, playing quick one-twos which were causing Arsenal some problems. Fortunately for the Gunners, Bournemouth just could not capitalise once they had reached the final third and as a result they struggled to create real goal scoring opportunities.

Following that defeat to Southampton, it was imperative for Arsenal to score the first goal against Bournemouth and they did just that. It was a crucial moment of the game as up to that point the Gunners hadn’t really created any chances themselves. One great run from Oxlade-Chamberlain however forced a corner for the home side and with Bournemouth having conceded so many goals from set pieces this season the stage was set. King of the assist, Mesut Ozil delivered a perfect ball into the box, finding Gabriel, who had done well to escape his marker before heading home past Artur Boruc.

Suddenly Arsenal had more about them in attack as Ozil became more and more influential. The German has really become a talisman for this side as the season has worn on and he was at his mesmeric best once again. Ozil just sees passes that others do not and then has the technical ability to play those passes to perfection. Having notched an assist for the first goal, another Ozil corner delivery almost resulted in another goal for Gabriel but on this occasion the Brazilian defender was denied by the post and as the ball bounced back it hit Mertesacker in the face and bounced the wrong side of the post for Arsenal, with the goal gaping.

This was not a vintage performance from the Gunners by any stretch of the imagination. During the second period in particular Bournemouth were able to enjoy possession for large periods, albeit without every really threatening. However when only leading by one goal it doesn’t matter how in control of the game you may be, one mistake or lapse in concentration could prove very costly. Therefore the second goal, as always, was crucial.

When it arrived, it was a goal of great beauty. Arsenal are at their very best when they move the ball quickly, interchanging the ball amongst themselves with plenty of movement amongst the attacking players. The second goal on Monday night arrived as a result of such play. Ozil of course was at the heart of the move. Picking the ball up and driving at the Bournemouth defence before playing the ball into Giroud and continuing his run into the box. Giroud’s deft flick back to Ozil was excellent, playing the ball into the German’s path perfectly and Ozil did the rest, controlling the pass with a silky smooth touch before showing great composure to steer the ball home.

From this point on Arsenal were in complete control and the rest of the game was essentially allowed to drift by as the Gunners allowed Bournemouth to enjoy a great deal of possession safe in the knowledge that the visitors couldn’t really hurt them.

Wenger’s side desperately needed this win as any other result would have led to more questions and pressure on the team. If the Gunners are to really mount a championship challenge this season then they have to bounce back from moments of great disappointment as they did on Monday night. A real positive of the evening was Callum Chambers’ performance in central midfield. The former Southampton man has been playing in this role during training sessions since Coquelin was injured, but this was his very first start in that position for almost a year and he performed the role very well. Chambers’ positional play was good as he identified danger and was in the right place to cut out Bournemouth attacks and he also showed confidence on the ball, passing well and bringing the ball out of dangerous areas too. With reports suggesting Arsenal will sign midfielder Mohammed Elneny from FC Basel in January, Chamber’s performance was still a big positive of the night as Wenger confirmed Jack Wilshere has suffered yet another set back in his recovery.

The squad’s confidence as a whole should now be restored and it is now crucial that the players focus on the next few games as from an attacking point of view, the loss of Alexis Sanchez and the many attributes he brings to the side, is clearly being felt. Monday night’s win took Arsenal to the top of the table for 24 hours at least and if the Gunners can just keep themselves within touching distance by the time Sanchez comes back, then they will have a great chance of taking this title race by the scruff of the neck.