Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth: Danny Welbeck strikes twice in comfortable win (see match review)

Danny Welbeck scored twice as Arsenal bounced back from their heavy defeat to Liverpool with a 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday.

The international break gave the Gunners a chance to reflect on their 4-0 humiliation at Anfield and they produced the perfect response at the Emirates.

Welbeck's early header put them ahead (6) and they deservedly doubled their lead before half-time through Alexandre Lacazette (27).

An excellent finish by the impressive Welbeck completed the scoring for the hosts (50), who move up to ninth in the Premier League table after their second victory of the season.

Player ratings

Arsenal: Cech (7), Bellerin (7), Kolasinac (8), Koscielny (7), Mustafi (7), Ramsey (7), Monreal (7), Xhaka (8), Ozil (8), Welbeck (8), Lacazette (8)

Subs: Coquelin (6), Giroud (6), Sanchez (7)

Bournemouth: Begovic (6), Cook (5), Ake (5), Daniels (6), Smith (5), Arter (5), Mings (5), Gosling (4), Fraser (5), King (5), Defoe (5) 

Subs: Francis (6), Ibe (6), Mousset (6)

Man of the match: Danny Welbeck

There was also time for Arsene Wenger to introduce substitute Alexis Sanchez - who was close to joining Manchester City on Deadline Day - and the Chilean received a warm reception from the home crowd.

Former Schalke man Sead Kolasinac provided the most assists by a defender in the Bundesliga last season and he teed up Welbeck for the opener.

Arsenal were completely dominant, with Asmir Begovic alert to keep out efforts by Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil before the hosts added their second. It came courtesy of another fine forward pass by Ozil, who released Lacazette to fire home after a neat exchange with Welbeck.

Team news

Alexandre Lacazette replaced Alexis Sanchez as one of three changes from Arsenal’s heavy 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, although the Chilean was later introduced as a substitute.Ryan Fraser for Andrew Surman was Bournemouth's only alteration from their 2-1 loss to Manchester City but the Scotland international lasted just 40 minutes before he was withdrawn with a knock.

Little went right for the Cherries, who also lost Ryan Fraser to injury before the break, and they conceded again five minutes after half-time. Dan Gosling coughed up possession and when Ramsey slipped through Welbeck, the Arsenal forward tucked away his second of the game.

Jermain Defoe had struck the post with a header moments before that Welbeck strike, compounding a miserable afternoon for a Bournemouth side still looking for its first point of the campaign.

The visitor's first shot on target did not come until the 84th minute, while the only blot on Arsenal's copybook was a late injury suffered by substitute Francis Coquelin.

September 09, 2017 sports