Bournemouth vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction after Odegaard and Saliba strike
Bournemouth 0-3 Arsenal: The Gunners extended their winning start in the Premier League
Arsenal coasted to victory at Bournemouth as captain Martin Odegaard’s early brace took the visitors to the top of the Premier League.
The Gunners kept up their perfect start to the new campaign, their 3-0 win at the Vitality Stadium sealed with a fine William Saliba strike as the defender opened his account for the club.
Odegaard had put Arsenal clear inside the opening 11 minutes, the first time the Norway international has scored twice in a match since a double for Stromsgodset in October 2014.
At this stage of last season, Mikel Arteta was facing calls to be axed as Arsenal boss as they sat bottom without a point or a goal. The summer signing of Gabriel Jesus has done much to herald such a stark turnaround in fortunes and, while he did not add to his goal tally on the south coast, the Brazil forward was again instrumental.
Follow reaction from the Premier League fixture, below:
Scott Parker confident Marcos Senesi can handle the occasion
Bournemouth made three changes to the starting XI that lost to Man City a week ago, with Jordan Zemura and Philip Billing coming into the line-up and Marcos Senesi earning a first start for the club.
The central defender signed from Feyenoord on a four-year deal earlier this month and Cherries boss Scott Parker is adamant the 25-year-old will shine despite the challenge this evening.
“Marcos is a defender who I feel has the attributes to handle the Premier League,” Parker told Sky Sports. “He brings experience but will need time as well, although I like to think he can adapt quickly.”
Nicolas Pepe misses out for Arsenal
Arsenal’s starting XI are unchanged but one player to miss out on a place in the squad entirely is Nicolas Pepe.
The Ivory Coast international joined the Gunners in the summer of 2019 from Lille in an eye-watering £72million deal but has largely been a flop.
He’s now being linked with a season-long loan to Nice and Mikel Areta deflected when asked about his absence today, telling Sky Sports: “We had to leave three players out of the squad and we tried to select the players we believe are in the best condition.”
Gabriel Jesus lifting Arsenal standards, says Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta hailed Gabriel Jesus’ standard-lifting performance after the striker opened his Arsenal account with a brace in their 4-2 victory over Leicester.
The summer signing from Manchester City brought the Emirates faithful to their feet in the Gunners’ first home fixture of the season with a stunning curled effort, following it up with a nodded goal to double their advantage before the break.
Jesus, however, later confessed to his manager that he was not as elated with his performance as the Gunners fans who flooded social media with praise after their side picked up another three points.
“We know what Gaby can do,” said Arteta. “He scored two assists too and he’s feeling disappointed in that dressing room because he said he could have scored four.
“That’s the standard, that’s the mentality you want. To go to a different level, you need that mentality.”
Gabriel Jesus lifting Arsenal standards, says Mikel Arteta after Leicester win
Jesus scored twice in the 4-2 victory at the Emirates Stadium
Gabriel Jesus bags brace on home debut as Arsenal overcome Leicester
Meanwhile, Arsenal impressively beat Leicester a week ago to continue their 100 per cent start to the Premier League campaign.
Gabriel Jesus emphatically announced his arrival at the Emirates Stadium with a brace in Arsenal’s 4-2 victory over Leicester.
The Brazilian’s quality shone throughout the Gunners’ first home fixture of the season, which saw him fire the hosts ahead with a curled effort before heading in his second before the break.
William Saliba’s own goal to start the second half drew the sides closer, but Granit Xhaka immediately restored the Gunners’ advantage.
The visitors, who stayed in it thanks to fine saves from goalkeeper Danny Ward, pulled another back through James Maddison, but Gabriel Martinelli responded instantly to ensure his side’s perfect start to the season.
Gabriel Jesus bags brace on home debut as Arsenal overcome Leicester
Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli also found the net for the Gunners
Erling Haaland denied but Man City thrash Bournemouth after Kevin de Bruyne’s virtuoso display
Bournemouth suffered defeat to Manchester City last weekend.
Blue smoke shrouded the Etihad Stadium at kick-off, wrote Richard Jolly. The message on the pitch, courtesy of a massive banner, had read: “This is Manchester”. If it was meant to signify the arrival of a striking superstar, an update of the “Welcome to Manchester” posters that greeted Carlos Tevez 13 years ago, Erling Haaland could not provide the finish to accompany the fanfare.
His home debut featured an assist but not a goal, and a lovely pass was perhaps proof that Pep Guardiola’s coaching can turn anyone into a creator, but the virtuoso display came from Kevin de Bruyne. Haaland may yet become the Premier League’s most prolific forward but De Bruyne has had a status as its most compelling midfielder for years.
Erling Haaland denied but sublime Kevin de Bruyne helps City thrash Bournemouth
Manchester City 4-0 Bournemouth: The Norwegian drew a blank, but the champions had too much for the Cherries at the Etihad
Bournemouth vs Arsenal stats
Arsenal are looking to win their opening three league games in a campaign for the first time since 2004-05.
However, Bournemouth at unbeaten in 11 home league games (W7, D4), winning their last three without conceding.
The Cherries' record against Arsenal is less promising though, with the Gunners winning nine of their 12 matches against the south coast side. Bournemouth have beaten them just once in 10 Premier League games - a 2-1 victory in January 2018 with goals from Callum Wilson and Jordon Ibe.
Bournemouth and Arsenal line-ups
Marcos Senesi - a summer signing from Feyenoord - makes his first start for the Cherries, while Kieffer Moore leads the line. Dominic Solanke didn’t pass his fitness test and misses out.
Bournemouth XI: Travers, Senesi, Kelly, Mepham, Zemura, Lerma, Billing, Smith, Pearson, Tavernier, Moore
Meanwhile, Arsenal name an unchanged XI and will be looking for a similar result to the one they got against Leicester last weekend - winning 4-2. Takehiro Tomiyasu is back on the bench but Ben White starts at right-back once more.
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Jesus
Bournemouth vs Arsenal team news
Here are the two line-ups - Arsenal unchanged.
Mikel Arteta ‘very confident’ Bukayo Saka will sign new Arsenal deal
Mikel Arteta is “very confident” that England forward Bukayo Saka will sign a new deal at Arsenal sooner rather than later.
The 20-year-old has two years remaining on his current contract at the Emirates Stadium and continues to be a vital part of Arteta’s side.
Saka finished as Arsenal’s top goal-scorer last season as he rose above the racist abuse he suffered after missing the deciding penalty in England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.
Having joined the academy aged seven, Saka made his first-team debut under head coach Unai Emery in 2019 but has flourished under Arteta.
Asked about a new deal for Saka, the Spaniard replied: “I am very confident that we as a club and Bukayo, his family, his agent, everybody, we are very much aligned in what we want to achieve. And now it is about putting it on a piece of paper.”
Mikel Arteta ‘very confident’ Bukayo Saka will sign new Arsenal deal
Arteta said Saka and the club were ‘very much aligned’ in their ambitions
Bournemouth preparing for challenge of stopping ‘incredible’ Gabriel Jesus
Bournemouth boss Scott Parker admits his side face a major challenge to nullify the threat of “incredible” Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus claimed his first Gunners goals since his summer switch from Manchester City by netting twice in last weekend’s 4-2 Premier League success over Leicester.
Parker, whose newly-promoted Cherries are bidding to bounce back from a 4-0 thrashing at champions City, is full of admiration for the Brazil international and braced for another severe test when Mikel Arteta’s men visit Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening.
“Gabriel Jesus is a brilliant signing, an amazing signing really,” said Parker. “Mikel had the player at Manchester City and he’s a top forward, an incredible centre forward.
“He’s probably got every facet to his game as a number nine: can drop in, can link play, is also a threat on your backline as well, endless work-rate in terms of pressing and leading the line from that sense.”
Bournemouth preparing for challenge of stopping ‘incredible’ Gabriel Jesus
The Brazilian opened his Arsenal account against Leicester last weekend
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