By Frank Kamuntu
Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Ben White were on the scoresheet as Arsenal cruised to a 4-0 victory at Bournemouth, with Kai Havertz also bagging a first goal for the club.
Saka opened the scoring with the simplest of headers after team-mate Gabriel Jesus hit the woodwork with his own headed effort and the rebound fell into Saka’s path.
Odegaard doubled the lead from the penalty spot after Max Aarons needlessly dove in and felled Eddie Nketiah, who was running out of room.
It was 2-0 at the break and 3-0 shortly after because Bournemouth gave away another penalty, leading Arsenal to hand the ball to Kai Havertz and he duly dispatched the chance.
Ben White added a fourth in added time to put gloss on an already polished performance.’
Victory lifts Arsenal to 17 points and second place, for now. They are just a point behind Manchester City, who suffered a surprise defeat at the same time the Gunners were cruising.
Winless Bournemouth are 18th with only three points ahead of a crucial run of games versus fellow strugglers Everton, Wolves and Burnley.
Talking Point – Arsenal Rotating Penalty-Takers
Havertz taking Arsenal’s second penalty in this game felt more about getting him a first goal for the club than anything else, and reflected how comfortable Arsenal were. There was little else to be learned about them today, given how poor the opposition were.
Player Of The Match
Player Ratings
Arsenal: Raya 6, White 6, Saliba 7, Gabriel 6, Zinchenko 7, Rice 6, Odegaard 8, Havertz 6, Saka 7, Nketiah 6, Jesus 6. Subs: Nelson 6, Tomiyasu 6, Vieira 6, Smith Rowe 5, Jorginho 6.
