Andoni Iraola: "It was quite a level game"
“It is a feeling we’ve had a lot lately,” says Bournemouth’s head coach. “We do a lot of good things but go away with one point or no points. Today we conceded three goals against Arsenal but they have not had a lot of chances. Overall it was quite a level game, we were better in the first half but Arsenal had the better of the second half. It is very difficult to score two against Arsenal but to finish without a point is frustrating. We have to be very good to get just one point. Arsenal found a way to win it and that is costing us a lot.”
Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal
Premier League match report: Gabriel gifted Bournemouth their opener with a rare error which he soon atoned for, before a second-half Declan Rice brace won all three points for Arsenal in the face of spirited opposition from Bournemouth. Ed Aarons reports from the Vitality Stadium …
Mikel Arteta: "We put ourselves into a difficult position"
“It is very different context to the Villa game,” says the Arsenal head coach in a chat with the BBC. “We put ourselves into a difficult position with the manner we conceded the first goal but what Gabriel has done is remarkable. He showed leadership and unity. We then grew into the game and scored two great goals.
“Declan Rice was struggling the last few days but pushed and pushed and pushed and made himself available. He played 96 minutes, scored two goals and was one of the best players on the pitch. That is the mentality we need from all of us. The ones who came in did really well, that is what we need. All of the players are really consistent and it was against a team that is difficult to beat.”
Declan Rice: "I'm happy to help the team"
“We knew it was always going to be really tough,” he tells the BBC. “To pick up the three points and the way we did it was really important. It showed the character of Gabriel to make the mistake and then how he played for the rest of the game. It showed the mentality of the team. Key thing was three points and we are building momentum.
“I have been in situations before where I have scored one in a game and wanted to score another and it hasn’t happened but now it is. We are going to need everyone chipping in at different points so happy to help the team.”
Lewis Cook: "We competed really well"
“Against a top, top side that are top of the league for a reason, we know we had to be at our best for 90 minutes of the game to get three points,” says the Bournemouth skipper, who came on in the second half, in an interview with Sky Sports. “I would say we were good in large spells of the game, we competed really well and unfortunately we couldn’t get all the goals to come away with a point
“We are on a bit of a winless run but we’ve picked up points and had some good performances in a tough run and I think we have to reflect on them and take the positives.”
On Antoine Semenyo’s likely move to Manchester City: “It’s part of football,” he says. “Players come and go, whatever happens with Semenyo. He’s a top professional and gives everything for the team. We’ll see what happens but we can reflect on today and take it into next week.”
Who’s leading the Premier League Golden Boot? A hint: he’s Norwegian, he’s eight goals clear of his nearest rival and it sure as hell isn’t Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.
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Bournemouth: Today’s defeat leaves Andoni Areola’s side in 15th place but results elsewhere today means they still have a nine-point buffer zone between them and the relegation zone.
Full time: Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal
Full time: Evanilson fired Bournemouth goal after pouncing on a rare Gabriel error, only for the Arsenal defender to atone for his error a few minutes later by firing his side level. Arsenal pulled two goals clear in the second half thanks to a Declan Rice brace, only for Bournemouth to launch an unlikely but ultimately futile comeback when Eli Junior Kroupi reduced their deficit just two minutes after coming off the bench.
90+7 min: The game ends with Petrovic up in the Arsenal box as Bournemouth take a long throw. Referee Chris Kavanagh blows his whistle while the ball was still in play and Bournemouth’s vanquished players are not happy about it. They can complain all they like but they’ve lost and have now gone 11 Premier League games without a win. Arsenal go six points clear of Aston Villa and seven clear of Manchester City, with the latter having a game in hand.
90+6 min: Jesus pounces on a Trossard header and tries to head for the corner again but is unable to keep possession. Bournemouth get the ball upfield, Senesi sends it into the penalty area and Arsenal head clear.
90+4 min: Arsenal corner. Saka plays it extremely short to Gabriel Jesus, who tries to keep it by the flag. He’s unable to and the ball goes out for a goal-kick. We’re deep into kitchen sink time for Bournemouth.
90+3 min: Jimenez charges out of defence and upfield before playing a low pass foreward down the inside right. Declan Rice appears out of nowhere to intercept because of course he does.
90 min: Jimenez plays the ball wide as the stadium announcer announces that there’ll be six minutes of added time. Adli is penalised and booked for a needless, ill-judged lunge on Merino, giving Arsenal the opportunity to waste more time over a free-kick deep in their own half.
87 min: Leandro Trossard tries to curl a shot goalwards. The ball takes a big deflection and Arsenal win a corner, which they are in no hurry to take. Saka’s inswinger, when it eventually arrives on the edge of the six-yard box, is cleared.
85 min: Adli is penalised for a blatant handball in the centre-circle after spiking a Raya kick-out to bring the ball under control but complains at length to the referee anyway. Why, Amine? Why?
83 min: Timber is penalised for a foul on Adli, giving Cook the opportunity to cross the ball into the Arsenal box. He does exactly that but overhits his delivery, making it easy for Raya to pluck the ball from the air unopposed near the byline.
82 min: Arsenal substitution: Odegaard makes way for Mikel Merino.
79 min: Semenyo plays a give and go with Kroupi just outside the Arsenal box but is expertly dispossessed by Declan Rice after receiving the return pass. Seconds later, Kroupi is booked for a lunge on Trossard.
78 min: Bournemouth corner. Cooks inswinger sails into the side-netting. I’m probably not the only one who thought he’d scored!
GOAL! Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal (Kroupi 76)
Bournemouth pull one back! Only on the field a few seconds, Kroupi accepts a pass a few yards outside the Arsenal penalty area and sets himself up with his first touch before leathering a superb dipping shot past David Raya. Game on, again.
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73 min: On course to go 11 Premier League games without a win, Bournemouth remain hopeful of at least rescuing a point but one suspects it’s not going to happen. Lewis Cook comes on for Alex Scott, while Kroupi Junior and Enes Unal are also introduced, with Kluivert and Evanilson making way.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-3 Arsenal (Rice 71)
Arsenal increase their lead! Declan Rice fires home his second with a low drive from about 15 yards after excellent build-up play from Bukayo Saka, who picked him out with a precision pull-back from the byline.
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69 min: It’s been another disappointing game in an Arsenal shirt for Gyokeres, who played a small part in the build-up to their second goal but did little or nothing else in his hour or so on the pitch. Madueke was decent enough, while the game passed Martinelli by as well.
66 min: Here comes the cavalry, as Arsenal replace their front three: Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard come on for Madueke, Gyokeres and Martinelli. With Kluivert fit to carry on, Bournemouth replace David Brooks with Amine Adli.
63 min: Madueke jinks this way and that, trying to beat Truffert, who sticks out a leg and pokes the ball off the Arsenal winger’s toe. Play is stopped, as Justin Kluivert is lying in the centre-circle 40 yards away and in need of treatment.
62 min: An other Arsenal corner. This time Madueke sends it deep and Petrovic punches clear. Arsenal recycle the ball and continue to turn the screw, winning a throw-in deep in Bournemouth territory. Zubimendi curls a cross into the penalty area and the hosts head clear again.
60 min: Noni Madueke wins a corner for Arsenal, under pressure from Truffert. The winger’s inswinger is headed clear at the near post by Evanilson.
59 min: Marcus Tavernier tries his luck from distance but shoots weakly and straight at David Raya, who clutches the ball to his chest.
57 min: Semenyo has the beating of Hincapie before curling a low ball through the corridor of uncertainty in front of the Arsenal goal. It narrowly evades Brooks, before Timber hacks it clear. Where was Evanilson?!?!?!?!
55 min: A tip of the hat to Viktor Gyokeres, who did well to hold the ball up under pressure before laying it off to Martin Odegaard in the build-up to that Arsenal goal. It was the Swede’s contribution of any kind, let alone note, in this match.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-2 Arsenal (Rice 54)
Arsenal lead! Declan Rice fires his side in front with their first shot on target since the 18th minute. He passes the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area after being superbly teed up by Martin Odegaard.
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53 min: David Brooks makes a run in behind to latch on to a quickly taken Kluivert free-kick near the halfway line. With nobody up in support, he cuts inside and sends a low shot flashing across the face of goal and wide.
51 min: Martinelli runs on to a long Gabriel ball from deep but is unable to prevent it from drifting out of play down near the corner flag. Gabriel’s long diagonals aren’t going so well for him today – they’re either too weak or too powerful.
49 min: Semenyo picks up the ball on the right flank and ambles inside but doesn’t try to beat his man and create an angle for a shot, electing instead to misplace a pass inside.
48 min: Arsenal win a free-kick wide on the right, a long way out. Martin Odegaard sends the ball into the mixer and Bournemouth clear in instalments.
46 min: The second half begins with a succession of Arsenal throw-ins near the halfway line. Cheeky Piero Hincapie steals about 15 yards at the third one without anyone noticing before Bournemouth get a throw-in of their own.
Second half: Bournemouth 1-1 Arsenal
46 min: Arsenal get the ball rolling, needing to up their game if they’re to take all three points from this game and go seven points clear at the top of the table. They haven’t made any changes at the break despite the heavy artillery on their bench.
Key event
An email: “Don’t know if you covered the Arsenal-Villa game earlier in the week, but given that Merino committed more or less exactly the same offence when on a booking and was extremely fortunate not to get a second yellow, I don’t think Arsenal should be too vocal in their protests re Semenyo not getting a second yellow today,” writes Gareth Davis. “That said, Arsenal were already 2-0 up at the time, rather than the game being finely poised at 1-1 like today.”
I’d say Merino’s foul was far more blatant than Semenyo’s but to be fair, I don’t think any of Arsenal’s players were even remotely vocal in looking for a second yellow for Semenyo today. Rice flapped his arms around like an angry swan as he appealed in vain for a free-kick but that was about it. I’m sure Arsenal’s fans will have been similarly measured in their assessment of the situation as it unfolded.
Half-time: Bournemouth 1-1 Arsenal
Peep! Referee Chris Kavanagh brings the curtain down on a first-half in which Gabriel made stellar contributions at both ends. The Brazilian’s miskick led to an easy opener for Evanilson to give Bournemouth the lead, only for Gabriel to atone for his error a few minutes later by scoring with a rising drive following a bit of of a scramble in the Bournemouth box. It’s all square at the break in a match that could yet go either way.
45+2 min: A quite absorbing and entertaining first half fizzles out in near silence, the crowd at the Vitality Stadium having been quietened by Arsenal’s recent and growing superiority. Their team remains very much in contention in this match, however and Andoni Iraola will be pleased with their performance thus far. It’s half-time.
42 min: “Greetings Barry from America, ruled by Donald of Orange,” writes Mary Waltz. “Thanks for the MBM to relieve me from the insanity of my country.” Ah come on, Mary. Let’s keep politics out of football by not mentioning the … em, recent, inaugural winner of the Fifa Peace Prize during this commentary.
40 min: Semenyo plays a neat little give-and-go with Evanilson before shooting high over the bar from just inside the Arsenal penalty area.
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38 min: Replays show that Semenyo definitely grabbed and held Declan Rice by the right arm as he tried to prevent the aforementioned counter-attack. If the Arsenal midfielder had gone to ground, rather than staying on his feet and giving the ball away, Semenyo might well have got his second booking of the game. Rice certainly thought he’d been fouled and the case for Semenyo’s defence would have been extremely weak.
37 min: Martinelli sends a cross into the Bournemouth box from the left but it’s headed clear by Matt Scott. Ther ball finds its way back to Martinelli, whose next cross is also headed away by Scott.
33 min: Senesi sends Truffert away on his bike down the left flank with an excellent pass but the Bournemouth left-back’s cross is cut out by Gabriel. Bournemouth win a corner, then another one. David Raya comes out to claim David Brooks’ delivery and sends Declan Rice upfield with a good throw-out. Already on a yellow card, Semenyo sails close to the wind in trying to impede the Arsenal midfielder’s progress with a series of tugs and grabs from behind.
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31 min: Making a driving run to the near post from deep, Tavernier connects with a low Justin Kluivert cross but is unable to steer his effort goalwards. Wide.
30 min: Evanilson tries a shot from distance that is blocked by Gabriel, just inside the Arsenal penalty area. Bournemouth’s fans appeal for “HANDBALL!” but their players don’t.
28 min: Correction: it was Piero Hincapie who was tripped by Semenyo … I think.
27 min: Antoine Semenyo is booked for accidentally tripping Martin Zubimendi as the pair of them chased a loose ball.
24 min: Gabriel gives away a free-kick about 35 yards from the Arsenal goal, well right of centre. Justin Kluivert fancies his chances but his ambitious, dipping effort bounces on its way wide. It wasn’t a terrible effort and Raya certainly thought it might have been sneaking into the bottom corner.
23 min: Marcus Tavernier outjumps Martin Odegaard to get his head to a delivery from the right but is unable to steer his effort goalwards. The ball skims harmlessly off the top of his head and away from goal.
20 min: David Brooks slips the ball to Evanilson in a good but offside position. He dawdled over his shot before having the ball nicked off his toe. He knew the flag was going up.
18 min: Arsenal corner. Declan Rice’s inswinger is touched away by Petrovic, who gets enough glove on the ball to steer it away from danger.
Having seen the operning goal of this game again, I’ve come to the conclusion that Gabriel was trying to switch the play from one side of the field to the other and just completely miskicked the ball. There’s no question surrounding what he was trying to do when he leathered it home to restore parity a few minutes later.
GOAL! Bournemouth 1-1 Arsenal (Gabriel 16)
Redemption for Gabriel! Excellent work down the right by Madueke, who beats Semenyo far too easily en route to the byline before pulling the ball back into the Bournemouth penalty area. Martinelli has a shot that’s blocked and the ball breaks to Gabriiel, who fires home from about 15 yards out.
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15 min: Since opening the scoring, Bournemouth have gone reasonably close again courtesy of a Justin Kluivert shot from distance that whistled narrowly wide.
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12 min: Even if he hadn’t spotted Evanilson before passing the ball straight to him, it’s difficult to know exactly what exactly Gabriel was trying to do in unwittingly providing the assist for Bournemouth’s opener. From a position not too far away from the corner flag, he squared the ball to his compatriot, who only had a scrambling Raya and half a vaguely open goal to beat and did so with ease.
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GOAL! Bournemouth 1-0 Arsernal (Evanilson 10)
Bournemouth lead! It’s a shocking mistake from Gabriel, who passes the ball straight to Evanilson from the Arsenal left-back position. The Bournemouth striker can’t believe his luck and slots the ball past David Raya with a minimum of fuss. My word.
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9 min: Good and bad work for Noni Madueke, who picks up the ball on the right wing, cuts inside and beats Adrien Truffert with a stepover. Having created an angle for a shot, he curls his effort high and wide.
6 min: WIlliam Saliba advances out of the Arsenal defence with the ball at his feet, spots a gap and goes through the gears before giving away possession with a misplaced pass. He sprints back into position before Bournemouth can launch a counter-attack.
5 min: Alejandro Jiminez has the ball nicked off his toe by Piero Hincapie, who can only prod it gently in the direction of Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who gathers without fuss.
4 min: Arsenal get their foot on the ball for the first time in these early stages and enjoy a spell of sustained possession.
2 min: Bournemouth are very quick out of the traps and win a throw-in deep in Arsenal territory. Semenyo trebuchets the ball into the opposition box but Arsenal prove more competent at dealing with his long throw than Chelsea did. They clear but Bournemouth win the second ball and another corner.
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Bournemouth v Arsenal is go ...
1 min: Bournemouth get the ball rolling, their players wearing their usual home kit. Those of Arsenal are in white shirts, burgundy shorts and white socks. Antoine Semenyo is immediately into action, pouncing on a ball over the top before winning a corner for his side. It’s cleared.
Not long now: Referee Chris Kavanagh and his match officials lead both sets of players out on to the Vitality Stadium pitch ahead of kick-off. Martin Odegaard and David Brooks skipper their respective sides.
Elsewhere in the Premier League: Wolves have finally won their first match of the season, scoring three without reply against sorry West Ham at Molineux. In news to make those of us who remember his Leeds United debut as a 16-year-old feel truly ancient, James Milner celebrated his 40th birthday by helping Brighton to a 2-0 win over Burnley, while Aston Villa got back to winning ways by beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Villa Park in today’s early kick-off. Wolves remain 12 points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table but today’s results mean life is looking a lot less bleak for Rob Edwards’ side now than it did first thing this morning.
Those teams: Bournemouth’s team is identical to that which started against Chelsea in midweek, with Antoine Semenyo making his 100th and possibly final appearance for the club. Having recovered from a neck injury, Lewis Cook is among the substitutes.
Arsenal make three changes to the side that started against Aston Villa. Back from a knee injury, Declan Rice comes in for Mikel Merino. There are starts for Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli, who start in place of Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard. Kai Havertz is not in the matchday squad but Arsenal staff have assured inquisitors that there is nothing wrong with him, but “his workload” is being managed.
Bournemouth v Arsenal line-ups
Bournemouth: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Scott, Tavernier, Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo, Evanilson.
Subs: Forster, Cook, Soler, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Kroupi, Unal, Rees-Dottin.
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
Subs: Kepa, White, Saka, Jesus, Eze, Norgaard, Trossard. Merino, Lewis-Skelly.
Team news: Declan Rice is fit enough to start in midfield for Arsenal, while Bukayo Saka is on the bench and Kai Havertz is given the day off. Antoine Semenyo takes his place in the Bournemouth starting XI. We’ll have the full line-ups very shortly …
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Arsenal: Mikel Arteta believes his team are ready to banish the unwanted statistic of not winning the Premier League title on the five previous occasions they have begun the new year top of the table. Ed Aarons reports …
Arsenal’s January transfer plans: “We are open to every option,” said Arteta upon being quizzed on the matter yesterday. “Obviously, if we can find a solution that is short, medium or long. It’s always much better because it gives you stability and you don’t have to constantly start a process with a new player. But let’s see what happens, let’s see what the news is in the next few weeks, and we’ll try to make the right decision.”
Arsenal are one of several clubs to have been linked with Real Madrid winger Rodrygo but the La Liga heavyweights may be reluctant to let the Brazilian go anywhere in the January window following the news that Kylian Mbappe has suffered a knee injury, the seriousness of which remains unclear.
Antoine Semenyo: While the Bournemouth winger is expected to move to Manchester City sooner rather than later this month, at his pre-match presser, Iraola said nothing has been set in stone .. yet. “No, there is nothing signed,” he told reporters. “For sure, there are conversations and I understand a lot of the noise around, but there is nothing signed.
“Antoine is our player. We want to keep him. He is playing very well and doing the right things. He is a top professional, a top guy. He wants to help the team and his team-mates and I have no doubts that he will do his best. I have no doubts with him. He is being a top professional and I’m sure he will be until the last day.”
Today’s match officials
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
Assistants: Dan Cook and Ian Hussin
Fourth official: Lewis Smith
VAR: Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR: Marc Perry
Early team news
Having missed Arsenal’s win over Villa with a swollen knee, Declan Rice could return for today’s game but will face a fitness test. “Let’s see how he comes and how that’s feeling,” said Mikel Arteta yesterday. “The Aston Villa game was too early for him.” Defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori have been ruled out, while Max Dowman, who reached the ripe old age of 16 on New Year’s Eve, is also sidelined.
Despite appearing to bid farewell to Bournemouth fans following their midweek draw with Chelsea, Antoine Semenyo looks likely to play this evening and is also expected to be available for Bournemouth’s next match against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. “Yes, Antoine is going to play in this match,” said Iraloa yesterday. “I think the idea at least is that he’s going to be available for these two games that we have in a very short turnaround.”
Ben Gannon-Doak, Ryan Christie, Tyler Adams and Veljko Milosavljevic have all been ruled out, while Lewis Cook will have to pass a late fitness test after missing the draw with Chelsea. “With Lewis, we are still waiting,” said Iraola. “It’s his neck and the pain that he feels. He will try to train today and we will see. Hopefully he will be available for tomorrow.”
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Premier League Bournemouth v Arsenal
To the Vitality Stadium, for today’s New Year clash between Bournemouth and Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side arrive on the South Coast sitting pretty at the top of the table, four points clear and buoyed by a midweek 4-1 dismantling of Aston Villa. They face hosts who are winless in 10 top flight matches (five draws, five defeats) but are somewhat of a bogey side for Arsenal, having pulled off an impressive league double against them last season.
Arsenal’s win over Villa marked their fourth in a row in the Premier League but they have won just one of their past four on the road, having dropped points away at Villa, Chelsea and Sunderland. Bournemouth’s last win came over two months ago against Nottingham Forest, a victory that sent them second in the Premier League. They have since plummeted to 15th. Kick-off today is at 5.30pm (GMT) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
