By Walter Broeckx
A bit an unexpected starting line up as Lacazette was not fully fit with a little groin injury and then Özil not in the starting line up. It looks 3 man central defenders at the start with Bellerin and Kolasinac as wing backs.
Arsenal starting line up : Leno, Bellerin, Sokratis, Mustafi, Holding, Kolasinac, Torreira, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Aubameyang.
On the beach: Cech, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil, Guendouzi, Nketiah.
Bournemouth putting us under some early pressure and a goal for them ruled out for a close offside decision. It looked onside to me. Finally Arsenal going forward after some 6 minutes and Torreira with the shot that comes of the goalpost and Iwobi shoots the rebound over. Bournemouth sharper in the duels so far and winning the loose balls more than Arsenal. A typical Arsenal start one could say. 0-0 after 15 minutes.
After 20 minutes a better period for Arsenal followed by a shot but Iwobi his shot was too weak to really trouble the keeper. A shotcross from Kolasinac has to be tipped over by the keeper. Aubameyang with a breast control but his shot goes just over. The assistant then stops Arsenal attacking when he gives an offside against Arsenal when the ball was played by Bournemouth. Sokratis then gets a very soft yellow card for a foul just outside the penalty area. A bit of tussling between the striker and our Greek but both players using their body. No problem with the foul but to give a yellow card…. Then the referee not gives a big foul on Mkhitaryan who was clearly pushed over some 10 meters outside the penalty area. But Arsenal put it right in style. We win the ball back on the halfway line. Iwobi gets the ball and plays it to Kolasinac who cuts the ball back for a low cross and a Bournemouth defender tries to clear it but the ball ends up against the net. GOAL! 0-1 to The Arsenal after 30 minutes.
Iwobi with a curled effort but the keeper can palm it away. Lots of midfield play for a while with both teams not really making things happen in the penalty area. A low cross from Bellerin is just cleared in front of Iwobi. Arsenal attacking most of the time but twice Mkhitaryan his shot is not good enough to beat the keeper. Arsenal in extra time in a good position to shoot but Bournemouth can counter suddenly and King finds the top corner when left completely unmarked at the end of the move. 1-1 after 45 minutes.
Sokratis stops a shot with his head at the start of the first half. That was a bit hit but he got up back on his feet. Ake gets a yellow card for a foul from behind on Mkhitaryan at the half way line. Not much academic football in the opening minutes. Arsenal with most of the ball and Bournemouth trying to counter. The ball bouncing around in the Bournemouth penalty area but the final shot from Bellerin is blocked by a defender. Torreira with a shot but it is deflected for a corner. Meanwhile the Arsenal women have won 4-1 against Brighton and keep their winning run going. At Bournemouth still 1-1 after 60 minutes.
A good cut back from Aubameyang whose cross went over the keeper but no Arsenal player at the end of it. Mkhitaryan wins the ball and gives it to Aubameyang but his shot went over. At the other end a striker pulls of the shirt of Sokratis and is allowed to carry on but Leno has no real problem with the shot. Lemar gets a yellow card for pulling Mustafi down. Arsenal take the free kick and attack ot the left with Iwobi sending Kolasinac in some space and his low cross is put over the line by Aubameyang. GOAL!! 1-2 to the Arsenal after 67 minutes.
Arsenal concede a corner but Aubameyang wins it back and counters and gives it to Mkhitaryan who slips a bit and then loses his footing and shoots wide. Arsenal most of the time having the game in control. 1-2 after 75 minutes.
Kolasinac escapes on the left flank but he shoots in the side net. After 78 minutes Torreira comes off and Guendouzi comes on. A ball breaks loose in the Arsenal penalty area but a weak shot follows and Leno can pick up the ball easily. Mkhitaryan at the other end but his shot goes over. After 81 minutes Iwobi goes off and Ramsey comes on.
When Arsenal fail to clear their line and lose the ball in their own half a shot from Lemar hits the goalpost. Arsenal are overplaying it in midfield and Bournemouth get in a cross that is deflected and then gathered by Leno under severe and foul pressure. But he kept the ball firm in his hands. Mustafi neeeds treatment but seems to be able to carry on. Bournemouth get a corner that is almost put in our own goal but Leno with a great save punches it out. We are nearing the end of the 90 minutes.
4 minutes of extra time. Arsenal trying to play the time off the clock and suddenly send Ramsey away but he stumbles and the only result is a corner. In minute 93 Aubameyang goes off and Nketiah comes on. Bounemouth gets a free kick just outside the penalty area already 1 minute after the extra time has past. Does the referee knows that the only moment you must continue is when a penalty has to be taken? The ball sails over the crossbar and Arsenal win 1-2!
Good morning Walter (it’s morning for me). I caught the end of the half. I see that Bournemouth was temporarily short-handed when they scored on own goal (to give us a 0-1 lead). Was that much of a factor in the goal itself?
COYG!
—-
In the other game, Brighton opened the scoring, and with 10 minutes left we are now 4-1 up.
COYWG!
Arsenal MUST wake up from the defensive blunders they’ve committed twice in the first half this match which led to their conceding 2 goals to the enterprising Bournemouth forwards who had one of their goals scored incorrectly ruled offside according to the football pundit observers. But find a way in the match, first not to concede any goal to Bournemouth in the 2nd half of the match but score against them however difficult it may become to do it, they MUST do it and win the match unfailingly.
Sorry, a little late with the “How to go PEA!”.
COYG!
Come on Guendouzi, get a goal! You too Aaron! You’ve both got fresh legs.
COYG!
Come on Eddie!
COYG!
Thanks for the commentary Walter.
Congratulations Gunners, the not losing streak continues with a win!
Some Stats:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _45 _ _ 60 _ _ 75 _ _ 90
_ _Shots on target 2:3 _ _2:3 _ _3:4 _ _6:4
_ __off target _ _ 0:6 _ _1:6 _ _1:8 _ _2:11
_ _Possession _ _ 56:44 _56:44 _56:44 _56:44
_ _Corners _ _ _ _ 2:3 _ _2:6 _ _3:7 _ _5:8
_ _Offsides _ _ _ _3:2 _ _3:2 _ _4:2 _ _4:2
_ _Fouls _ _ _ _ _ 2:4 _ _4:4 _ _5:6 _ _7:8
_ _Goal Kicks _ _ _5:5 _ _6:6 _ _9:6 _ 13:7
1 point behind Chel$ea, and 3 points behind the spuds (with the same GD).
It’s thank God by Arsenal for collection all the points that were at stake in this match. Why is it it’s thank God by Arsenal? It’s because Bournemouth came close to grabbing the equalising goal late in the match as they subjected Arsenal defense-line to barrage of assaults unrelenting until the last kick of the ball, a free kick to them at the edge of the Arsenal box which they blazed over to a sigh of relieve of our breaths. Hmmm, what a match!
WOO HOO,HOO! Well done guys. Not an easy game but we stayed true.
And great to start winning games, and long may it last!
Up the Gunners !
Found a bar that was showing the match and would you believe it there were four Bournemouth supporters there. Or maybe they just didn’t like Arsenal. There I was all on my own as the Arsenal supporter. Rather wierd.
Sole gunner in a bar loaded with all of three Bournemouth supporters, must have been tiresome!
Somehow I survived.
This team appears to be tougher than their 2017-18 counterparts as their away record is far superior. 17 games in a trot without a loss, that’s something to be proud of but
I see the media are dissing Arsenal as usual. They seem to like comparing Emery to Wenger but unfavourably, as usual. Our next 2 games will tell us how far AFC have evolved.
Thank you Walter. Informative, especially the bit at the end where the referee continues the game past injury time to allow Bournemouth the chance of a late goal when he should have finished the game as it was a free kick & not a penalty. Another special PGMOL Law for Arsenal.
Menace it is you that is special..
@Walter and Menace…It would be extremely interesting to hear the referee defend his decision to give a full 5 minutes of extra time as there was no Arsenal time wasting and only one substitution. If he were to say that the play merited more time then surely based on that metric there should have been closer to 10 minutes of added time that half as there should be in most matches.