EMERY’S COMIC RELIEF
Gunners boss watches Peaky Blinders to learn about Britain but after this comedy of errors on the South Coast he should try FAWLTY TOWERS
UNAI EMERY is watching Peaky Blinders to relax and learn about British culture.
But next on his boxset list should be Fawlty Towers to fully comprehend this comedy of errors on the South Coast, which featured a bizarre own goal and some slapstick defending in the plot.
It even had a rerun of the Arsenal of last season as the Gunners conceded a sloppy goal on the counter-attack.
But even if this was not a vintage performance from the visitors, Emery’s rejigged side extended their unbeaten run to 17 matches to climb within a point of Chelsea.
And the result and return to winning ways needed no translation – with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joining Sergio Aguero as the Premier League’s top scorer, the north Londoners’ bid for a Champions League place is getting serious. With Alexandre Lacazette out injured and Mesut Ozil kept on the bench for the full 90 minutes, Emery switched to a back three – and gave a coaching clinic to his defence from the touchline throughout the opening stages.
The Cherries’ David Brooks sprang the offside trap early on, but his strike was erroneously ruled out before Lucas Torreira hit a post.
It needed something special to find a way through and Jefferson Lerma was the man. Unfortunately for the Colombian, his volley past the nonplussed Asmir Begovic immediately enters high in the charts for the best ever Premier League own goal. Sead Kolasinac provided the cross.
Bournemouth equalised in first-half stoppage time after a fine counter-attack, which showed the new Arsenal have not shed all their old habits.
After a Gunners attack broke down in the Cherries’ box, the home side moved the ball without a challenge to allow Josh King to curl home.
The defending was as insipid as the light turquoise in their third away kit.
The strike means the Gunners have still not led at half-time in the Premier League or kept a clean sheet on the road this season.
The hapless Lerma also played a part in the game’s decisive goal. Bournemouth’s £25million record signing was booked for a foul in midfield and, from the resulting free-kick, Alex Iwobi played a neat ball to allow Kolasinac to cross for Aubameyang to slot home from six yards out.
It was the Gabon forward’s eighth Premier League goal of the season – and his sixth on a Sunday. “Not only did he score, it is also how he was working over the 90 minutes,” said Emery.
“He worked to help us in all different things tactically, in both attacking and defensive moments.”
Lerma still found time to hit the post late on, but Bournemouth slipped to a third consecutive defeat before Saturday’s daunting visit to Manchester City.
Arsenal have already won four away matches in the Premier League – the same as in Arsene Wenger’s final season – and scored at least twice in every match on the road.
And unlike his Spanish compatriot Manuel, Emery’s communications are being understood by his players.
“The result is very important,” he said. “We spoke in the dressing room after the first half, when they scored, about the process in our mentality.
“We needed to keep calm and continue to control. The control over 90 minutes, keeping calm in a lot of moments, is very important.”