Arsenal secured all three points following their 1-0 win over Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium in their latest league outing on Sunday.
The Gunners took an early lead through David Luiz’s header and eventually, the Brazilian’s goal proved to be the difference between the two sides.
Here are three talking points from the encounter between Arsenal and Bournemouth.
Chambers Impresses As Right-Back
Owing to Hector Bellerin’s unavailability following an injury last year, Arsenal used Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Carl Jenkinson and Stephan Lichtsteiner as their right-back but none of them impressed.
However, Calum Chambers has certainly made the most of the opportunities he has received from Unai Emery so far this season. The former Southampton defender started against the Cherries and left a mark once again.
Chambers won 4 tackles, made 4 clearances and completed 27 passes. Although Bellerin is back, he will find it hard to displace Chambers from the starting XI.
A Valiant Effort From The Visiting Side
Although Eddie Howe’s men ended the game as the losing side, they put on a strong show away from home against a big side. It was, arguably, a tale of two contrasting halves for Bournemouth.
While they were blunt in the first 45 minutes, they emerged as a different outfit after the interval. Howe’s side pressed the north London outfit relentlessly and perhaps shaded the game in the second half.
In total, they attempted 10 shots and forced Arsenal to resort mostly to counter-attacks. Bournemouth were energetic, vibrant and resilient at the back, and there were a lot of positives to take.
Pepe Has To Improve Soon
Arsenal’s £72million record-signing Nicolas Pepe might have bagged his second assist in the ongoing Premier League campaign but the former Lille winger has miles to go in order to justify his staggering price tag.
The Ivory Coast international misplaced a lot of his passes and seemed clueless in the final third. There was an apparent lack of precision, and even his crosses were far from convincing.
With the likes of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli excelling with every passing day, the pressure on Pepe is on the rise. He has to step up soon as he has the potential to play a key role in his side’s surge for a Champions League spot.
Statistics Credits: Whoscored
