Arsenal 1-0 Bournemouth: 3 Reasons why the Gunners won

Arsenal edged past Bournemouth in a tense encounter at the Emirates to move up to 3rd spot on the Premier League table, just a point off 2nd-placed Manchester City.

The Gunners started the game brightly and carved out a few openings for themselves. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was presented with the first opportunity of the match but the Gabonese fired wide from outside the box.

In the 9th minute, Nicolas Pepe whipped in a pin-point corner that found the head of David Luiz. The Brazilian arched his neck optimally to glance his effort beyond the keeper. Thereafter, the aforementioned Ivorian came close when he curled a shot of his own past the far post.

...and breathe! 😅🎶 1-0, to the Arsenal 🎶#ARSBOU

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 6, 2019

After the break, Bournemouth looked much sharper and caused the Gunners real problems. However, the hosts managed to hold on to their lead to ensure they bagged all three points.

Here is a look at three reasons that contributed to Arsenal’s victory on Sunday.

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#3 Bournemouth’s passiveness in the first half

Eddie Howe's men were quite passive in the first half

Bournemouth came into the game high on confidence and had the potential to ruffle Arsenal’s feathers. However, they started the game extremely timidly and handed the hosts the initiative, thereby allowing the Gunners to control possession and create chances.

On numerous occasions, the visitors were content to move the ball around sluggishly in their own half without really trying to utilise the pace of Dominic Solanke and Callum Wilson.

Subsequently, Arsenal pressed the Cherries high up, meaning that the away side were left with no viable outlets. The ploy of playing out from the back got the visitors in trouble a few times too. However, the Gunners failed to capitalise.

Apart from their slow tempo, their wingers also failed to impose themselves on the game which contributed to the hosts' superiority down the flanks.

Over the past few years, Bournemouth have established a reputation for playing fearless football and a brand that enthrals those in attendance. However, rather surprisingly on Sunday, Eddie Howe’s troops abandoned all those principles in the first half.

And, by the time they unfurled those characteristics, it was probably just a touch too late.

#2 Bournemouth fail to make the most of their second-half dominance

Bournemouth failed to make the most of their dominance

The Cherries started the encounter extremely listlessly and consequently, found themselves a goal down in the opening 10 minutes. However, the visitors turned the screw methodically in the second half and put the Gunners under the cosh.

Their approach play looked a lot swifter while there was a lot more movement in the final third. In the process, they got down the sides of Arsenal’s defence at times.

Moreover, they were willing to launch the ball forward a lot quicker, a tactic that helped the Cherries bypass the hosts’ midfield while also using their striker’s attributes.

However, despite their encouraging build-up play, they never really threatened Arsenal, apart from a couple of occasions.

Early in the second half, Callum Wilson broke through the defensive lines and went eyeball to eyeball with Bernd Leno. The Englishman got the better of the German but his cut-back across goal was cleared by Calum Chambers.

Another hopeful cross then eluded Wilson’s head when he managed to create space for himself beyond Sead Kolasinac. Jack Stacey also came close late in the game when he stung the palms of Leno.

Yet, clear-cut opportunities were hard to come by for Bournemouth, despite their extended spells of possession. The Cherries ended the game with 47% possession and 405 passes. Unfortunately, though, that wasn’t enough to make the net ripple as they piled further woe on themselves on a disappointing afternoon in North London.

#1 Calum Chambers leads a dogged defensive display for the Gunners

Chambers (L) was brilliant for Arsenal

Arsenal started the game on Sunday having kept just a solitary clean sheet through the early stages of the season. Alarmingly though, that came at St. James’ Park against an offensively uninspiring Newcastle side.

Consequently, an already beleaguered rear-guard came under more fire as their defensive problems were laid bare for everyone to witness. However, at the Emirates, the Gunners turned in a rather dogged display to shut out the Cherries and march towards the upper trenches of the Premier League table.

And, Calum Chambers was at the heart of the hosts’ resilient performance.

The Englishman, deputising at right back, was immense for the home side as he was on hand to clear the danger on numerous occasions. He denied Josh King a goal-scoring opportunity with a last-ditch tackle in the six-yard box after Callum Wilson had set up his strike partner.

Additionally, he cut out several dangerous passes down the channels with his astute reading of the game. And, though his delivery in the offensive third left a bit to be desired, there were certainly no complaints regarding the defensive aspect of his display.

For a few years after the inception of the Premier League, the Gunners were renowned for such performances and ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ became a recurring theme.

And, though Gooners have been rather happy with their transformation to an effervescent side, not many would mind that previous trend rearing its head again, especially when clean sheets are at a premium.