Arsenal returned to winning ways on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Bournemouth.
Down on the south coast, Bournemouth started brightly and were unlucky not to take the lead when David Brooks’ effort was chalked off for a very questionable offside decision (in fact, replays suggested that the Welsh international was fractionally on).
As is the way of these things, the Cherries then fell behind on the half-hour mark and to an own-goal of the very highest calibre.
Jefferson Lerma was the unlucky stooge, with the Colombian midfielder sliding to cut out a Sead Kolasinac cross only to inadvertently thump a beautiful guided volley past Asmir Begovic as well…
The hosts deservedly got back on level terms just before the break, with Josh King applying a superb finish to a quick counter-attack.
In the second half, the Gunners once again improved, and duly nabbed the winning goal on 67 minutes, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring his eighth goal of the season.
The Gabonese striker was left to tap in from close range after some incisive build-up play from Kolasinac, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – the latter two players at least partially salvaging what had been rather lackadaisical performances up to that point…
Bournemouth almost got an equaliser late on, with Lerma clipping a low drive against the post, but the game would end 2-1 to Arsenal – a result which sees them go within a point of a top four place.
As for Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth, they stay eighth.