Bournemouth 0-2 Arsenal

Mesut Ozil gives Arsenal the lead — Arsenal maintained their record of not losing a Premier League game in which they had a two-goal lead at half-time since November 2010 (at home to Tottenham)

Arsenal scored twice in 88 first-half seconds to overwhelm Bournemouth and move level on points with second-placed Tottenham.

Mesut Ozil lashed the ball home from 12 yards for the Gunners' opener, before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain drifted in from the right and scored with a low shot.

Bournemouth played some slick football at times and had more attempts at goal, but their finishing was poor.

Matt Ritchie was the chief culprit, with none of his five shots on target.

Analysis: Why Arsenal should not fear defining month

Gunners back on song

Top six form table — Arsenal, despite winning on Sunday, still have the worst form of all teams in the top six

For Arsenal, who had not won in the league since 3 January, the relief was clear. They controlled the game with early possession before catching Bournemouth with a pair of swift strikes which rendered the contest a foregone conclusion.

Ozil set the Gunners on their way with a powerful shot after Olivier Giroud had headed Aaron Ramsey's long pass into the German's feet.

And Arsene Wenger's pre-match assertion that Oxlade-Chamberlain was in form and would offer good balance on the right proved prophetic when the winger came inside and his low shot went in via the far post.

Again, Ramsey had a hand in the goal - the Welshman pulling the strings for the Gunners and giving Bournemouth a lesson in turning some eye-catching moves into ruthless attacks.

No finishing touch

Despite chasing the game in the second half, it took until stoppage time for Bournemouth to test Petr Cech, when the Arsenal keeper made a fine double save to deny Steve Cook and Harry Arter from low shots.

Until then, it had been a succession of wayward pops at goal and intricate, but not incisive, approach play.

Bournemouth should be applauded for their desire to pass the ball, create space and use the flanks but they lacked any presence up front.

Lone striker Benik Afobe, who was signed from Wolves for a fee of about £10m, had scored in his last three games for the Cherries but failed to register a single effort on goal against his former club, before he was substituted after 76 minutes.

Man of the match - Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey challenges Bournemouth keeper Artur Boruc — In a game where Bournemouth had more possession than Arsenal, Aaron Ramsey ensured every one of his touches counted - laying on both of the visitors' goals

What the managers said

Bournemouth 0-2 Arsenal: Eddie Howe says Cherries lacked 'cutting edge'

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, speaking to BBC Sport: "We were slow out the blocks today, which is unlike us. If you give a team like Arsenal time on the ball they will punish you.

"We were much-improved in the second half without getting that goal to put them under pressure. We kept going, kept fighting, and if we had got that goal back with say 20 minutes to go, it would have made for an interesting finish. We got into some really good positions without the cutting edge we have had in recent weeks."

Three very important points - Arsene Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, speaking to BBC Sport: "We had a strong start, with good finishing and we controlled the game. We beat a good side, it was three difficult points but three very important points for us because we had not won for a while.

"We lost a bit of our urgency in the second half. We lost the killer instinct to get the third goal and on top of that Bournemouth are physically a strong team."

Stats of the day

Arsenal are unbeaten in 23 fixtures against newly-promoted sides, winning 19 and drawing four.
Mesut Ozil has now scored in both Premier League matches versus Bournemouth this season with both goals having been assisted by Olivier Giroud.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his first Premier League goal in 38 appearances. It was his first goal involvement in 26 Premier League games.

Coming up next

Arsenal host fellow title challengers Leicester City on Sunday (12:00 GMT), while Bournemouth, who are five points above the drop zone, welcome Stoke City to Vitality Stadium on Saturday (15:00).

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Bournemouth

Formation 4-1-4-1

1Boruc
15A Smith
2Francis
3S Cook
11Daniels
6Surman
30RitchieSubstituted forStanislasat 66'minutes
4GoslingSubstituted forKingat 66'minutes
8Arter
7Pugh
20AfobeSubstituted forGrabbanat 77'minutes

Substitutes

12Iturbe
17King
19Stanislas
23Federici
25Distin
28Grabban
32O'Kane

Arsenal

Formation 4-2-3-1

33Cech
24Bellerín
5Gabriel
6Koscielny
18Monreal
20FlaminiBooked at 9mins
16Ramsey
15Oxlade-ChamberlainSubstituted forCoquelinat 67'minutes
11Özil
17SánchezSubstituted forGibbsat 82'minutes
12GiroudSubstituted forWalcottat 90+3'minutes

Substitutes

3Gibbs
4Mertesacker
13Ospina
14Walcott
28Campbell
34Coquelin
45Iwobi

Referee:: Kevin Friend
Attendance:: 11,357

Match Stats

Home TeamBournemouthAway TeamArsenal

Possession: Home51%; Away49%

Shots: Home17; Away10

Shots on Target: Home4; Away5

Corners: Home7; Away3

Fouls: Home6; Away8

Live Text

Post update
Match ends, Bournemouth 0, Arsenal 2.
90'+4'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bournemouth 0, Arsenal 2.

90'+3'
Post update
Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90'+3'
Post update
Foul by Joshua King (Bournemouth).
90'+3'
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Theo Walcott replaces Olivier Giroud.
90'+1'
Post update
Attempt saved. Harry Arter (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
90'+1'
Post update
Attempt saved. Steve Cook (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Joshua King.
90'+1'
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Kieran Gibbs.
90'
Post update
Attempt missed. Joshua King (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Charlie Daniels.
90'
Post update
Attempt saved. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Petr Cech.
89'
Post update
Attempt saved. Joshua King (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Adam Smith with a cross.
88'
Post update
Attempt missed. Harry Arter (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Andrew Surman.
87'
Post update
Offside, Arsenal. Kieran Gibbs tries a through ball, but Mesut Özil is caught offside.
85'
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Héctor Bellerín.
83'
Post update
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Laurent Koscielny.
82'
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Kieran Gibbs replaces Alexis Sánchez.
79'
Post update
Offside, Bournemouth. Charlie Daniels tries a through ball, but Joshua King is caught offside.
78'
Post update
Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
78'
Post update
Foul by Harry Arter (Bournemouth).
77'
Substitution
Substitution, Bournemouth. Lewis Grabban replaces Benik Afobe.

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