What a game. What a win! What a moment for Kai Havertz in an Arsenal shirt! From excellent in game management both on and off the field, to clinical finishing up front and team comradery at an all time high. This Arsenal away performance had it all.
The Art of Analysis In-depth review is here:
The Line up:
So the predicted XI wasn’t to far wrong. Whilst we were perhaps more negative in our outlook with regards to injuries etc. Mikel clearly knew better fielding one of our strongest sides possible and utilising the higher skill level in our players to secure an emphatic victory.
Arsenal started the game brightly and took the lead early on through Bukayo Saka, who headed home a rebound from Gabriel Jesus’ header off the bar. This was Arsenal’s first proper attack of the game, and it put Bournemouth on the back foot.
Arsenal have now avoided defeat in the past 40 Premier League matches in which they have scored first, a run dating back to January 2022.
Bournemouth had few chances in the game, with their best chance coming when Dominic Solanke was through on goal but William Saliba made a vital interception. Ryan Christie also had an effort just before the break but it was comfortably saved by David Raya.
Arsenal doubled their lead just before half-time when Max Aarons slid in and caught Eddie Nketiah in the box to concede a penalty. Martin Odegaard took the penalty and slotted it into the bottom left corner.
Overall, it was a convincing performance from Arsenal and they deservedly took all three points.
Tactico Teta:
The shift in the frontline saw an shift in the focus of play. With Jesus LW and Eddie sole CF. Arsenal only crossed the ball once in open play during the entire match against Bournemouth, but it was enough to score the winning goal. This was a dramatic shift in style for Arsenal, who had averaged 13.16 open play crosses per game up until this point.
One possible explanation for this change in approach is the use of Gabriel Jesus on the left wing. Jesus is not known for his crossing ability, and he may have been instructed to play more centrally instead. Another possibility is that Arsenal were trying to avoid playing to the strengths of Bournemouth’s tall central defenders. By passing through them on the ground instead, Arsenal were able to create more clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Overall, it was a successful change in tactics from Arsenal, and it will be interesting to see if they continue to play this way in the future.
Eddie Nketiah Unsung Hero:
Eddie Nketiah’s passing and link-up play have improved a lot in the past two seasons, and he was excellent at it in this match. He is one of the few Premier League starters who can finish a match with a 100% pass accuracy.
Nketiah also dropped into midfield to receive the ball, which created space for his teammates to run into. He was also confident on the ball, making four successful dribbles and winning all three of his aerial duels.
Full of confidence, Nketiah made four successful dribbles, won all three of his aerial duels, and earned the team’s first-half penalty with a great run down the left flank, followed by a sharp one-two with Oleksandr Zinchenko.
An excellent performance that won’t get the plaudits it deserves because of the goal scorers. Nevertheless Eddie put in a great team performance.
Conclusion:
Overall Arsenal and Mikel made this game look easy. The key takeaways will always be the team effort. The on the pitch decision to give Kai Havertz the penalty. The cool finish from Kai. It was a game to remember for the travelling away fans and certainly a huge confidence boost for Kai and the Unbeaten Arsenal squad as a whole. Now we look forward to the midweek champions league clash away to Lens!
Written by Reekesh Somaroo
