FA Premier League

AFC BOURNEMOUTH 0
ARSENAL 3 (Odegaard  5, 11, Saliba 54)

ARGUABLY, we still haven’t seen the reborn Arsenal put to the test after a far kinder schedule of fixtures than last season, but, as the old cliche goes, you can only beat the opposition that’s put in front of you. And the Gunners are doing just that in style and with a new belief.

For the third match in a row, they sped out of the traps and went hunting for an early goal at the Vitality Stadium and Bournemouth simply had no answer.

In fact, the home side were made to look ill equipped for their return to the Premier League, struggling in all areas this evening.

It resembled a cup match against lower league opposition as the men in pink – Arsenal’s away strip has seen two wins now in less than a month – enjoyed a stress free evening by the sea.

Once again, there were so many things to love: Gabriel Jesus danced around up front to  help create the opening goal in less than five minutes. His determination and endless enthusiasm is bringing out the best in his new colleagues too.

After bouncing off two challenges, Jesus slipped a pass to Gabriel Martinelli whose shot was parried into the path of Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal captain gratefully accepted the invitation to roll in his first of the season.

And he had his second just six minutes later when Bournemouth were again too slow to deal with Arsenal’s cute web of fast passing. Odegaard burst in to collect the ball just inside the penalty area and clatter the ball into the corner of the net.

Aaron Ramsdale, given a generous cheer by the home side who remember his efforts in a Cherries’ shirt during a 37-game spell before he joined Sheffield United and then Arsenal, was a virtual spectator for the first period.

It was just a case of how many Arsenal would score. The answer to that was three – and the third was perhaps the best of the lot.

William Saliba, the big French defender who much of the Gunners’ supporters wondered why was allowed to leave on loan for a third time last season, was serenaded for much of the match like a new cult hero.

Watch out, he hasn’t signed a new contract yet. Mikel Arteta might want to make that a priority not least for the way he scored 10 minutes into second half. Bournemouth struggled to clear a free-kick and Granit Xhaka stabbed a pass to Saliba who tried his luck with a soaring strike into the far corner.

If it wasn’t plain sailing on the coast already, it certainly was from then on in. Jesus placed the ball into the net after a deft pass from Odegaard but VAR ruled he was a fraction offside. Substitutes Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah might also have added to the scoreline late on.

Ramsdale at the other end palmed away a speculative effort from Kieffer Moore and Marcus Tavernier twice shot wide, but it was slim pickings for the home side amid an obvious gulf in class.

AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Travers, Mepham, Senesi (Anthony HT), Kelly, Smith, Zemura, Pearson (Cook HT), Lerma, Billing (Christie, 65), Tavernier, Moore
Subs not used: Dembele, Hill, Lowe, Marcondes, Neto, Stacey

ARSENAL
Ramsdale, White (Tomiyasu 74), Zinchenko, Saliba, Gabriel, Partey, Xhaka (Tierney 86), Odegaard (Smith Rowe 74), Saka (Lokonga 86), Martinelli (Nketiah 74), Jesus
Subs note used: Elneny, Holding, Turner, Vieira