Unai Emery praised the maturity of his players as Arsenal ran out 5-1 winners against Bournemouth to retain 4th place in the Premier League table.
Mesut Ozil opened the scoring and then turned provider for Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Gunners established a two goal lead inside 27 minutes.
The Cherries flirted with an unlikely comeback when Lys Mousset reduced the deficit on 30 minutes following a mistake by Matteo Guendouzi.
However, second half goals from Laurent Koscielny and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, both set up by Mkhitaryan, and a free-kick by Alex Lacazette rounded off a slick performance.
“We work like we did in the last matches with intensity,” Emery told the BBC after the win.
“After 2-0 their goal can give us a problem but I think we show maturity in this moment by continuing to push. Today with our supporters here, we had a good atmosphere.”
Ahead of Saturday’s North London derby, Emery had suggested he might rotate and he did exactly that, giving Mesut Ozil another start, playing Carl Jenkinson at right-back and opting for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang instead of Alex Lacazette. They all excelled, much to the boss’ delight.
“It is important these three matches we play here,” he added. “In a short time, we keep the performance with different players. We play with intensity.
“It is good for the team and for this moment. Some players today can rest, with the derby on Saturday.”
Excellent squad management from the boss in the last 3 games. Individual and collective performances are at a high. A very good response after the lackluster Bate away.
Now we need to cap it off by getting our first away win vs top 6 since 2015!
that is a shocking statistic.
We played well
Spurs played like shit
Repeat on Saturday please 🙂
COYG
Defenders often lose their nerve when they go 1on1 with the keeper, but Trippier’s finish was class.
I said earlier in the season that we should’t underestimate the Spuds ability to spud it all up for themselves. Not taking anything for granted, of course not, but Trippier’s goal tonight might be the start of their slippery slope back to the Europa League.
Let’s hope so anyway.
Looked like he was doing the Henry style finish! Well in
If he can make Ozil and Mkhi play like that every game, we will destroy most teams. I have been a big critic of Mkhi, but in the last two games he has really stepped up!
That’s what you get with a dose of creativity.
That’s what you get when you put in Ozil and Mkhitaryan. These players need an opportunity to gel, create a combination and understanding between themselves. They are the only players in our squad who have broken records for creativity in a league, they are approaching the end very soon and if we don’t utilise their incredible abilities, we would have wasted so much money. I can take wasted money on players who are untalented, because that would have been a mistake in recruitment and its usually not that much. But to have the strikers we have and not try to… Read more »
I think I’m terms of quality you are right but in terms of formation it just doesn’t work with a lone striker up front. Unless we used a 442 diamond mf would be ideal to maximize the 2 strikers up top with ozil behind. I don’t understand if he is married to the wide attacking players being vital to his tactics why he didn’t sell one of the strikers and Ramsey since he doesn’t rate him and get his wide players?
Again, great game. Let’s keep this up
Nothing done yet of course. TWO massive matches to come for the season in Spurts and Manure. BUT signs are looking good. Mistake by otherwise good Guendouzi today (twice…almost got punished again second half) Two clean sheets prior matches with Mustafi. BUT frontline is clicking into gear and threatening to purr again like it use to with Wenger in better days. The level of thelepatic understanding between Auba-Mhki (MOTM) rekindled in 4th goal, also Iwobi-Ozil, Ozil-Mhki, Laca-anyone in squad to add to Iwobi-Kolasinac and there’s Ramsey as well to mix in. Some very good stuff today as a dress rehearsal… Read more »
I downvote your posts not because they because they don’t make sense (they’re actually well written and thought-out), but because they are so long that they do not belong in the comment’s section of Arseblog articles. Start your own blog or even ask the author’s of arseblog if maybe you can occasionally submit an article, but leave the comments for farts like me who complain all the time
I like the fact we have option to go two striker up top with Laca-Auba supported by a creative hub just behind or one striker plus two interchanging behind be it Iwobi-Ozil or Ozil-Mhki or Iwobi-Mhki.
Plus we also have options to go 3 at the back or flat 4.
Its taken a while for the team to get a sense of fluency but you feel from recent games this is suddenly starting to click.
Brilliant game/result…. Ozil & Mkhi superb… actually everyone put a decent shift in.. more of the same on Saturday please! Just hope Koscielny will be ok for it
Big shout out to Jenko – great to see you back
I know that Mesut Ozil often shows some inconsistency in his game but isn’t it of a surprise that our recent displays which have been some of the best displays all season have come with him in the side?
no.
And the answer is no. Our performances Are better because the whole squad found form and were motivated after Bate defeat. Every player is giving us his best, and that have nothing to do with one player being played.
I largely agree with you, but the point in my post is that clearly the guys love playing with Mesut because of the options he gives them when he is on his game. We definitely can win without him but even I have to admit that some of the games without Mesut linking play were pretty hard to watch. Still I love Arsenal regardless, so “ugly” wins were never a problem because 3 pts are the same no matter how we play.
The inconsistency is why Emery refused to play him, but without doubt the thing that Mesut brings to the team is “swagger”. Laca and Auba…heck all of the players thrive on his inclusion in the team, especially when we are playing well.
So Iwobi, Mkhi, Guendouzi, Xhaka and etc are consistent? If they started playing well now, doesn’t that speak more to their lack of consistency than Ozil’s? Why is consistency a requirement for only one player? Why isn’t everyone asking for consistency from all of our players?