Arsenal kept the pressure up on Manchester City with a well-deserved 3-0 win over Bournemouth but Mikel Arteta’s side were made to sweat on an afternoon when the decision-making by the officials was called into question by the visitors.
Bukayo Saka put the Gunners ahead at the break with a controversial penalty before Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice produced decisive finishes to put the result beyond doubt.
Here’s what the managers, players, pundits and stattos made of Arsenal’s penultimate home game of the season…
Mikel Arteta on his side’s performance..
I was really impressed, especially the way we played the first half. It should have been three, four, five. We didn’t convert that many chances and then credit to Bournemouth, they’re a good side, they created a few issues, but then we were able to bring the game back to where we wanted, be very efficient and the result and the clean sheet obviously make us really happy. I think we’re showing a lot of maturity but as well a lot of courage. I think the team was really with the mindset to attack them, it was really positive. The players were taking risk, initiative and that’s what we want to see. This is who we are. We’ve done it for nine and a half months. We better do it again.
Source: BBC Sport
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Andoni Iraola on the result…
First of all, I would like to say Arsenal deserved to win today. I don’t agree with the penalty or the decision for the disallowed goal. But I want to repeat, Arsenal deserved to win & were better than us.
Source: Post-game press conference
Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth
Arsenal register their highest xG total in a Premier League game this season
Over to you, Manchester City…#ARS pic.twitter.com/GqDQTmqKqv
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) May 4, 2024
Kai Havertz on the penalty he won…
I haven’t seen the replay but I think he touches me. I felt the contact and went down. For me it’s a penalty. I said to the goalkeeper ‘you touched me’.
Source: TNT Sports
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Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers on the penalty he conceded…
It’s a tough one. As a goalkeeper you’re trying to make yourself as big as possible, trying to make a save. Havertz is coming in to try and score, if he shoots first time, you’re just trying to make a save, I’m not thinking about Havertz, am I going to tackle him, I’m just trying to make myself big, trying to make a save. I feel he dangles his leg out, there’s contact there but from a goalkeeper’s point of view, if I just come out and stand still, I don’t know how I’m going to make a save, so I have to try and affect the first bit. Obviously he dangles his leg and that’s the ref’s decision. It’s a tough one, but it’s one I have to take on the chin.
Source: TNT Sports
26 – With two games to spare, Arsenal have equalled their Premier League win tally from last season (26). Indeed, only in 1930-31 (28) and 1970-71 (29) have the Gunners won more games in a single top-flight campaign. Vital. pic.twitter.com/JrxOFevAEi
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 4, 2024
Arteta on Thomas Partey…
He’s very important. Thomas has another level of presence, his quality and how dominating he is in the middle of the park is something that the team obviously needs and he’s got the right experience as well so I think that combination [with Declan Rice] is working well.
Source: BBC Sport
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Havertz on life at Arsenal…
I’m really enjoying it – it’s brilliant for me personally. The other players especially make it quite easy for me, so I enjoy my role, try to work hard in training and try to help the team. I really enjoy every second, sometimes I don’t feel like I don’t even want to have a day off because you’re just so excited for the weekend and really want to work with the team, try to get everything out of us to be better prepared and we do that every single day.
Source: Arsenal.com
20 – Bukayo Saka is the first player to score 20 goals for Arsenal in a season (all competitions) since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2019-20 (29 goals) and the first Englishman to do so for the club since Theo Walcott in 2012-13 (21 goals). Sauce. pic.twitter.com/eYw4y74FZo
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 4, 2024
Martin Keown on Rice’s leadership…
Of course, personality, saying things at the right time but you do your talking with your performance above all else. He has the skillset. He can finish the boy. And he can celebrate. Man City it’s over to you. They’ve made them suffer for a few more hours.
Source: TNT Sports
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Declan Rice on his goal…
I feel like it was probably up there with one of the best goals I’ve scored this season, just because of the, not the actual finish, but the build-up of myself going from one end of the pitch to the other. You know, just having that extra bit of energy and belief that something could come of the situation. Luckily enough it did. If you don’t make those runs you don’t score, so I’m delighted with the goal, the assist and the win. It’s a really big day for us.
Source: beIN SPORTS
95:43 v Man Utd
96:23 v Luton
96:21 v Bournemouth3 of Declan Rice's 7 Premier League goals this season have been scored in 2nd half stoppage time, the most by an #Arsenal player in a single Premier League campaign since Alexis Sánchez in 2016-17 (also 3).
— Harvey Downes (@HarveyDownes92) May 4, 2024
Arteta on David Raya keeping 15 clean sheets in 30 games…
That’s unbelievable. You need a really good goalkeeper, you need players individually with the level of understanding and commitment and love of defending to achieve that, and that’s a big, big number for the team.
Source: Arsenal.com
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David Seaman on Arsenal’s win…
I felt quite nervous at 1-0 if I’m honest. The second goal really calmed my nerves. Declan put the icing on the cake. They created chances, I just wanted a little more composure in front of goal. It was a good performance, not brilliant, but good. A win is a win.
Source: Premier League
The #Arsenal's current goal difference of +60 is the best in the club's history in top flight football after 36 games played.
— 𝖍𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊 (@hente_afsc) May 4, 2024
Arteta on how he feels going into the final two games of the season…
Very excited. We have done it for nine and a half months now so it’s two weeks to go. We really want to get it done. We are closer to where we were yesterday and hopefully we can bring that title here.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Joe Cole on the decision to award Arsenal a penalty…
I can see why the keeper there was protesting, but it’s a penalty. You’re a young ‘keeper you’ve done fantastically well. Once you’re in that situation, you commit and you’re not gonna get it, and your leg is that extended out – Havertz has bought it. But he knows what he’s doing. A good goalie in that situation – a [Manuel] Neuer or someone – would have kid Havertz. [Andoni] Iraola’s saying the same thing, he left his leg in there.
Source: TNT Sports
Although unlikely, if City lose today and at Fulham, we could win the league next weekend.
Whatever happens this season, we are gonna one almighty force next season
If we don’t win it this year we just need to convince Guardiola to be content with four straight titles and flog off to manage in Tibet or something so he can add that to his resume. He’s done all there is to do in England and Man City are destined to be managed by Alan Pardew again.
Was about to upvote you but you have 4 upvotes and 1 down votes which is exactly the scoreline between City and Wolves right now, so guess that’s symbolic…
Finished 5-1. Some dickhead gave you one upvote too many so you’re st 6-1 now. Probably a City fan. They could literally still catch us on goal difference at this pace, only 6 behind now. Having to wait and hope for Sp*rs to beat them is worse than the cruelest form of Chinese torture.
Pep Guardiola will only go to a club that can give him unlimited funds to buy whomever he wants.
He doesn’t build anything. Just buys it.
Even Mourinho is more courageous in that sense.
don’t be daft
City are the dominant club for a reason, but it’s not pep. Yes pep is great but that’s why he’s at c115y, not the other way round.
if you’re a modern football fan then you have to understand that Guardiola reinvented football and made it what it is today. Managers all across the world are copying him to the extent they can. Arteta, Iraola, deZerbi, Alonso, McKenna, you name it. He is the GOAT. Nobody else comes close. The trophies have flowed from the consistently superior football his teams have played The massive financial advantage just accentuates the gap that would already have been there. Put Pep in charge of Palace ir Bournemouth and you’d see the same kind of transformation that was brought by Glasner and… Read more »
What about the red card? How was that foul on Saka not a red card? How? Someone please explain the rules to me? Not even yellow?
He got away with 3 bookables before finally getting one when the game was almost over
Yeah, I was wondering how Iraola felt about the decisions on red card and three more yellows from Christie. As Cypress Hill say, “what go around come around”…
Its funny that on BBC Sport Player ratings that Raya always – ALWAYS gets the lowest ratings despite being a golden glove winner.
BBC bias so obvious..
It’s probably more the fact that Raya has not been involved much and hence the clean sheet, as opposed to Raya keeping us in the game to gain us a clean sheet
In other words, even Almunia would win the golden gloves with this team. Is that what you mean?
It speaks to how pundits don’t know how to evaluate a GK if he’s not flying around making saves.
Pundits, and Ramsdale fanboys.
Thank you Sir for the sensible comment.
Why is it BBC bias when the player rating is voted by the public and anyway, why would the BBC be biased against David Raya??
Attacking the BBC for everything they do is a tedious fashion.
Just wanted to say that Jesus’ contribution to the third goal was absolutely world class. Sprinted to make the interception and gave a brilliant lay off, ran intelligently out wide to allow Odegaard to drive through the middle, then played a perfectly-weighted ball to Rice to finish. I understand the view that if somebody comes with a big bag of cash this summer it might be good to move him on, but he’s a player who absolutely has a role in this team for me.
Jesus is a fantastic player but I just don’t think he delivers enough for £265k a week.
If someone came in with £60m+ we should take it and invest in someone who can score 20+ goals a season. I wish that player could be Jesus though.
I honestly don’t get this obsession with a striker having to *score* goals but not getting credit for assists or drawing penalties. Who cares if it’s him scoring or someone else scoring because of how good he is? It’s a goal for us either way, counts exactly the same in the scoreline, but if he didn’t put it in the net himself he’s a bad striker… 🥱
He has a knee injury, requires surgery, and the whole world knows it. So probably no bags of cash nor 60m.
So he’s an arsenal player.
And a talented one. Hope he gets his full fitness back.
“I said to the goalkeeper ‘you touched me’.”
And very inappropriate it was too!
A punishable one.
Punishable by a penalty at least.
And Kai was dangling..
Nice to see Saka is almost reaching Walcott levels of output.
Not a fan of Joe Cole but he’s got the right idea. If you come out like that as a GK, it’s easy for the striker to buy a penalty off you and Havertz did that, as he is absolutely entitled to do. You think Harry Kane doesn’t make the same play there? That said I think he could have stayed on his feet and scored, but he doesn’t have enough confidence in himself as a goal getter yet and he took what he felt was the easier path to goal in that split second.
Everyone does that. Foden literally had the same pen given a few matches back but there was no uproar for that one, imagine. What I’m really bothered with is the inconsistencies. If a player tries to enact a contact in the box (for me personally) shouldn’t be a pen but a yellow card for the player. But the refs can’t keep giving others penalties (Foden) and not give others (Saka vs Bayern). Either it is, or it isn’t and be sure to keep the standards for everyone.
A few people moaning about the penalty awarded to us today but it was just about the right decision.
It’s ridiculous that the foul on Saka in that CL game home to Bayern was far worse but wasn’t punished.
I have no idea what a penalty is these days.
Disagree Fats – I think It was more easier to stay on the feet & finish off a tap in rather than tumble and roll on to the floor. Thereafter hope Saka converts the penalty.
It’s when VAR shows in retrospect that Rice accidentally kicked someone in the nuts when the ball was already gone from the box and the play was of no consequence.
Yes that was technically a penalty, but then so was the one on Saka and many others we were denied this season.
And in the City/Wolves game today two players collide while going for the ball and it’s a penalty. Madness.
Nothing like oil money to grease some palms.
The double arm extension through the back on Gabriel for the Newc goal still haunts me. How do you see replays of that and think, nah mate, it’s not a foul…
Looks like the wolves players have been chucked a few quid to throw the game today. 3-0 down at ht (should be double this). I don’t believe in the integrity of this league any more.
Managerial naivety.
I know they’ve only become decent since moving to a back three, but it’s suicidal to persist with that while away at the Et115ad.
Do you honestly believe that? A decent team with some of its best players injured or sold is hammered by a fully-fit and highly motivated Man City playing at home–does that really sound suspicious?
Who knows mate. If anyone doesn’t think with all of the dirty money sloshing around the premier league it’s bent then it strikes me as bit head in the sand. I didn’t expect Wolves to get a result, but they’ve been good this year and I expected a performance. I watched most of it and it looked like they weren’t even trying. They weren’t even doing the simple things which leads me to believe, for whatever reason, they completely rolled over. Is it such a stretch to think that a financially doped club owned by a corrupt, amoral nation state… Read more »
Spot on.
I don’t think anything is beyond them. City owners will do anything to control their fake winning and sportswashing. Such is the nature of feudalistic or autocratic regime. Ironically, nothing is sacrosanct.
I am highly suspicious of everything they do. That said (and for balance) I am also quite suspicious of the referee in our game. We got the benefit of the doubt more than once and had the shoe been on the other foot I’d have been furious. There is obviously a strong incentive to keep the title interesting until the last day. We were more than good value for a win but just because the decisions went in our favour this time doesn’t make the whole thing any less nauseating.
A relatively short anti-conspiracy rant: In general, Premier League referees show unconscious (I stress that word) bias towards (a) home teams, especially with a big and engaged crowd–this is the most important by far; (b) “big” teams which, by definition, are likely to be better. If you’re not sure what happened, the player from the better team was probably better; (c) star players who, by definition, are likely to be better. Again, if you’re not sure who did what to who, then the star is probably right; yes, this doesn’t explain the lack of protection for Saka, but this a… Read more »
When that penalty was given, initially the ref was waving play on….players surround the ref. 5 secs later he points to the spot . So contrived and following a script was this, I immediately turned the game off.
When the city players are the VAR’s you know the game is done.
Is there a precedent of a team with the most goals scored and the least goals conceded not winning the league ?
Sp*rs in 16-17 is the most recent example
I dream of seeing all of City’s titles vacated. Nothing in football would make me happier. Pep is the best of the best, their players and magnificent and that club is run like clockwork, but it’s all built on a fundamental lack of fairness provided by a gross financial disparity, even if you don’t account for the 115 charges.
You can’t help but think of West Ham at home in December, now that the City money machine is in full flow.
Brilliant season, but we’re left hoping for a miracle.
Fuck city very much and Haaland too. He looks like he got stung by 509 bees, he’s annoying to look at, is a league 2 player and his haircut is so 2009
I’m not sure personal attack will mean much. What we need is the FFP charges to be dealt with in our lifetimes and not constantly kicked into the long grass.
VAR doesn’t take into account intention or common sense. It’s so cold. The referees rulebook intentionally has some space for interpretation such as playing the advantage, or what is a professional foul. When it comes to diving, we only seem to judge based on how high someone jumps or how flat their body is horizontally. There doesn’t seem any consideration to the fact that the trailing leg is avoiding injury. If someone comes in from the side to slide tackle you, you would try and keep your leg front planting studs in the ground. Especially in the context of this… Read more »
Ummm, yeah, I don’t think the answer is to pay the referees, who earn the least of all the people on the pitch, less.
BS from Travers, he was going for the ball and missed.