Arsenal find top gear as Arteta’s rebuild flourishes
IT WAS Boxing Day, in 2019, when Arsenal last came here for a Premier League match. The diagnosis that afternoon made for rather grim reading: a 1-1 draw meant they had won one of their last 11 games. At the halfway point of the campaign, Arsenal sat in the bottom half. The first match of his tenure afforded Mikel Arteta only a few crumbs of optimism.
Last night, Arsenal provided a brutal, brilliant illustration of all that has changed and they have learned over the past 32 months.
Midway through the second half, Arteta turned to his bench, he slapped his thighs and roared in frustration. By that point, Arsenal were 3-0 and heading top. The team’s identity, eroded by Christmas three years ago, has been recast in the image of their manager. Restored through a new spine — William Saliba, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus, upon whom this victory was built.
Odegaard, their new captain, put Arsenal on course for victory with two early goals, the first created by a simply astonishing run by Jesus, their new talisman.
Victory was sealed in the second half by Saliba, their new defensive darling, who netted his first-ever Arsenal goal with a sumptuous curling effort from the edge of the box.
It could have been even sweeter, had Jesus not strayed offside before scoring from Odegaard’s through ball. That would have capped another superb individual display.
Pity Bournemouth. For Scott Parker’s side, this was a long, long evening in the middle of a horrible run. Their reward, after defeats by Manchester City and Arsenal? A trip to Liverpool.
‘There’s no shame in losing,’ said Parker. ‘(But) today in the first half, it wasn’t a team I wanted to see.’
He explained: ‘I’m bitterly disappointed with the first half, we showed a real lack of humility... we never got a foothold, never posed Arsenal any kind of problem, our general demeanour was pretty poor.’
It is a sign of the stability around Arsenal, meanwhile, that Arteta could name the same starting XI for a third successive match.
No Arsenal boss has had that luxury at the start of a season since 2003.
There is a certain irony in Arteta ending that run here, too, given the costly, ruthless overhaul he has overseen since their previous visit.
‘It takes time to get something,’ the Gunners manager said. ‘It’s been a massive, massive change.’ So has this turnaround come earlier than expected?
‘I’ll keep that to myself,’ smiled the Spaniard.
From his first line-up, only Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka started here. Of all the players who have arrived since, has anyone had such an immediate and devastating impact as Jesus?
To think there was a time when Arteta was accused of building a dull team, one frozen by rigidity and predictability.
Odegaard’s double meant Arsenal had scored eight Premier League goals after just three hours and 11 minutes. Last season, it took them nearly 12 and a half to reach that point.
Vulnerabilities remain, of course, but Bournemouth couldn’t make a dent without the ball.
By half-time, Parker’s side had failed to register a shot, or a touch in the opposition box.
They did have their moments, though. Marcus Tavernier’s corner was cleared off the line by Gabriel. Jaidon Anthony sent a free-kick narrowly wide.
But, any hopes of a turnaround were soon extinguished by Saliba.
Jesus deserved a goal, too. He thought he had it before VAR intervened.
That didn’t dent the enthusiasm in the away end, though. The chanting and giddiness continued, unabated. They’ve had worse trips down the south coast of England.