Arsenal show resilient side to overcome Bournemouth
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions on Sunday with a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth that moved them within a point of the Premier League's top four.
The home team's record signing Jefferson Lerma, who cost £25m in August, scored a spectacular own goal to give Arsenal the lead but Norwegian international Josh King, back in the Bournemouth side after injury, equalised just before half-time.
That meant Unai Emery's team have still never led at the halfway stage of a league game since he joined in the close-season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang slid in the Gunners' second goal in the 68th minute and their three-man back line held out, although Lerma hit a post.
Arsenal can make up ground on their big local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who are still three points ahead of them, by winning the north London derby next weekend.
Bournemouth stayed eighth after a third successive defeat in a testing period, with fixtures against Manchester City and Liverpool to come in the first eight days of December.
Reuters
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
3 minutes
Arsenal threaten for the first time as Mkhitaryan fires a shot off. It's blocked and Bournemouth come away with the ball.
Unsurprisingly, it's been an open start here.
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
7 minutes
The game has been played mostly in Arsenal's half thus far. The hosts look bright and inventive, while the away side appear to still be adjusting to Unai Emery's change of system.
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
8 minutes
Brooks has the ball in the back of the net for Bournemouth, but the linesman has his flag up. No goal.
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
9 minutes
Now Arsenal come close. Torreira strikes one from long range and Begovic gets a touch to push it onto the post. Iwobi, with space and time, can't convert the rebound.
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
12 minutes
Bournemouth probe, looking to find a way through the visitors' defence. The signs have been promising for them so far. Arsenal's defenders do not look entirely comfortable in a back three, and there's a worrying amount of space down the sides.
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
16 minutes
Lovely interplay on the left wing between Daniels and Brooks. The former puts the ball across but it evades everyone.
Arsenal have not settled yet, and Emery will be concerned.
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
20 minutes
Much better from the visitors. Kolasinac is played in on the left and looks to drive the ball across goal.
Then Iwobi gets a shot off but it's straight at Begovic.
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
23 minutes
Chance for Aubameyang. Arsenal's top scorer has been quiet so far, but the ball falls to him from a corner and he fires a shot just over.
Bournemouth 0-0 Arsenal
24 minutes
Arsenal are enjoying a spell of pressure now. Aubameyang picks out Kolasinac with a cross to the far post, but the full back heads wide.
GOAL! Bournemouth 0-1 Arsenal (Lerma OG)
30 minutes
A disastrous own goal gives Arsenal the lead. Lerma, in an attempt to get a foot on Kolasinac's ball across, can only drill the ball past his own goalkeeper. Had it been at the other end, it would've been a good finish.
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