Bournemouth 0-3 Arsenal
Arsenal went top of the Premier League table on Saturday night thanks to a comfortable win away to Bournemouth, and it was especially sweet for the Gunners as they knocked Tottenham Hotspur off the top spot.
Attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard has shown plenty of promise since his transfer to Arsenal from Real Madrid in January 2021 and he has been handed the captain’s armband by Mikel Arteta. And boy did he lead from the front on Saturday as his two early goals set the Gunners on course for a third consecutive league victory.
Bournemouth tried to respond but centre back William Saliba curled in a superb third early in the second half and the three points were no more than Arsenal deserved. After agonisingly missing out on a top four place last season the Premier League 2022 betting odds have woken up to the prospect of Arteta’s team returning to Champions League football, and that’s a worrying thought for Spurs and Chelsea fans.
But it looks like this could be a long season for Scott Parker’s Bournemouth who looked a little out of their depth against the slick Gunners.
Highlights of the game
After two impressive victories Arsenal came into the game with bags of confidence and it only took five minutes for them to get their noses in front after some brilliant work from summer recruit Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian striker controlled a high ball with such skill, before slipping the ball through to Gabriel Martinelli, and when his shot was parried Odegaard fired home the rebound.
And on 11 minutes the Norwegian star doubled his tally and the Gunners’ lead after another flowing move which put Jesus in a shooting position. But his captain took over, collecting the ball and expertly guiding the second into the corner.
The Cherries have been beset by injury worries and it was already difficult to see how they could recover from such a disastrous start, but they made it to half time without conceding again as Arsenal, totally dominant, seemed to take their foot of the gas. And for ten minutes of the second half it seemed the hosts may be able to find a foothold in the game, with more possession and some forays into the Arsenal half.
But then Saliba hit the third and it was a beauty.
Former skipper Granit Xhaka controlled a long ball and teed it up for the centre back who curled a brilliant shot into the top corner and the game was over. The 21 year old has made a great impression since his return to the club from a loan spell at Olympique Marseilles and he could be the answer to Arsenal’s defensive questions.
With 20 minutes remaining the excellent Jesus latched on to a great ball from Odegaard and sweetly hit the ball home, but VAR took a look and judged the Brazilian ace to be an inch or so offside.
Key statistics
At a SBOTOP price of 1.39 to win Arsenal were the biggest favourites to claim a victory in Saturday’s group of matches and the result was never in doubt once the Arsenal captain had made his mark.
Arsenal were totally dominant with 60 per cent possession, 13 shots to five and five to one on target and, while keeper Aaron Ramsdale had a quiet afternoon his front players put on a show.
The Gunners won their opening two games by two clear goals and went one better today; while Odegaard’s top flight double was the first he has scored since October 2014 when he bagged two for Stromsgodest against Lillestrom in the Norwegian league… when he was just 15 years old.
What’s next?
With a perfect set of Premier League 2022 results to start the new campaign, Arsenal fans can look forward to their next three fixtures with real optimism. They have new boys Fulham at home next Saturday before Aston Villa travel to the Emirates on the following Wednesday. If they can win those two matches the Gunners will hardly be able to contain themselves when they travel north to take on Manchester United on the first Sunday in September.
The only other top flight club to start the weekend with a 100 per cent record is defending champions Manchester City, and the Sky Blues travel to Newcastle on Sunday to take on Eddie Howe’s Magpies.
The Cherries have two very different challenges coming up. Next Tuesday they travel to Norfolk to take on Norwich City in a tough Carabao Cup tie and then, next Saturday…it’s Liverpool away.
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