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Arsenal's win over Bournemouth a perfect tonic to Liverpool loss

Alexandre Lacazette celebrates scoring Arsenal's second goal
Image: Alexandre Lacazette celebrates as Arsenal cruise to victory

Arsenal swept aside Bournemouth 3-0 to bounce back from their heavy defeat at Liverpool, but their tough trip to Chelsea looms, writes Peter Smith...

This is just what Arsenal needed. After their humiliating humbling at the hands of Liverpool before the international break, where a 4-0 defeat dealt a hammer blow to their ambitious pre-season talk of a title challenge, Arsenal re-found some confidence as they cruised past Bournemouth.

Of course, despatching struggling teams has rarely been a problem for Arsene Wenger sides - the Gunners have now won their past 24 home Premier League games against opposition which started the day in the relegation zone - but this victory was much needed.

Bournemouth, in particular, have always proven to be welcome visitors to the Emirates Stadium. Eddie Howe's men bring an attractive passing game but don't have a robust enough defence to match. In their three Premier League trips to Arsenal, the home side have an 8-1 aggregate advantage.

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Watch highlights of Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth

Throw in the south coast club's own sluggish start to the campaign, in which they've now lost their first four, and this was the ideal fixture for Wenger and Arsenal to remedy any hangover from that Anfield thrashing and shake off the post-Deadline Day criticism of their work in the transfer window.

"All we can offer to the fans is that in the next game, from the first minute, we start with intensity, play a good game, get the three points and everything will come back as before," Nacho Monreal had told Sky Sports and it took Arsenal just six minutes to give their home fans something to cheer.

Danny Welbeck scores the opening goal of the game at the Emirates Stadium
Image: Danny Welbeck got Arsenal off to a fast start

Danny Welbeck nodded in Sead Kolasinac's cross off his own shoulder to open the scoring, before Alexandre Lacazette emphasised the home side's complete first-half dominance by sweeping in a second over Asmir Begovic.

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Five minutes after the re-start Welbeck had his second, sliding a shot into the far corner after good work from Aaron Ramsey, and that dreadful defeat at Liverpool felt very far away.

There was even a generally warm reception for Alexis Sanchez to underline the feel-good mood, the Chilean making his first appearance since Manchester City's Deadline Day approach.

But for all the slick football on Saturday, the chips, flicks and tricks the players in red rolled out with the game well won, the spectre of a trip to Chelsea next weekend looms. Arsenal's title credentials - which Wenger once again talked up ahead of this match - won't be evaluated on a 3-0 home win over Bournemouth but against the big guns.

Arsenal v Bournemouth

Arsenal Stat Bournemouth
3 Goals 0
17 Shots 7
9 On target 2
10 Corners 3
58.6% Possession 41.4%

They won't have it so easy next Sunday. Arsenal's record against their top six rivals has become a weakness in recent times and they fell badly short at Anfield. They must now produce a performance to buck their recent run against Chelsea, where they've lost their last five.

In one sense, having another shot at a top team so soon after losing to Liverpool is a positive for Arsenal, giving them a chance to silence the critics who picked up on the all-too-familiar flaws on show two weeks ago. But another defeat would raise real doubts about this side's capability and ramp up the pressure on Wenger again.

Flat-track bullies? Maybe. But for now, the Arsenal players can take some relief and belief from their win over Bournemouth and enjoy their first taste of victory since the opening evening of the season. Beating Cologne in the Europa League on Thursday would further add to the momentum. And Arsenal will need as much of that as they can get before their showdown with their London neighbours, where they'll be put through a far tougher test.

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