This is the veritable six pointer with the Cherries just four points below Arsenal in the League table and our closest challengers, but more importantly, due to Chelsea’s defeat yesterday we can leapfrog our neighbours into the Top Four and make a real statement of our intentions.
But as usual the Gunners decided to make hard work of it with a slow start and when Bournemouth scored after just 8 minutes it was like Groundhog Day, but thankfully the linesman spotted an offside and we were back in it. We bounced back straight away and Torreira went down the other end and hit the post, but it was looking like a tactical standoff from both sides and Arsenal were getting slightly more of the ball.
On the half hour we got lucky with an excellent own goal from Lerma with no Arsenal players anywhere near. 1-0 to the Arsenal, but could we actually keep a lead until half time?
W kept up the pressure and nearly doubled our lead a few minutes before the whistle but Iwobi got robbed of the ball. But of course we couldn’t keep the lead as usual, with Joshua King finishing an excellent move to shoot past Leno with only Bellerin trying to get a block. Typical bleedin Arsenal! 1-1 half-time.
Okay let’s be confident that Arsenal always play better in the second half, and we were looking more in control and more confident, but we still didn’t manage to take the lead until the 67th minute, and of course it was Aubameyang who was waiting in the box for the cross from Kolasinac. Okay so far so good can Arsenal keep this lead? 2-1 to Arsenal!
A few minutes later Mhki gets a ball in the box as well but loses control and then mises the goal by a country mile. He really is lacking in confidence that lad, but at least Arsenal are looking more like a Top Four side and we have scored more second half goals than any other side in the Premier League. 21 in fact! Now we just need to keep possession andf frustrate the Cherries until we get another break…
With 15 mins to go Emery takes off the very hard-working Torreira and puts on Guendouzi, but Bournemouth very quickly gets the equaliser but the strikers taps it tamely to Leno. And Ramsey gets a run out in place of Iwobi. Maybe the fresh legs can get us the decisive goal.
Of course Arsenal never make it easy band Leno’s post was rattled with five mins to go, and he was bowled over just two mins later after another Cherries attack. A free kick on the edge of the area in the last minute made for a scarey finale but Stanislav slammed it over the bar. Phew!!!
Now one point behind Chelsea and 3 behind the Spuds. We have to win the North London Derby!!!
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