Having an international interlude so early in the season is usually seen as an irritant as any early season momentum and build up of fitness level can be stalled by players travelling all over the globe. For Arsenal though, the break came at the right time after the chastening at Anfield giving them nearly a fortnight of wound licking.
Confidence Builder
Fortunately, Bournemouth were the ideal opposition to continue the healing process. A ball playing tika taka, non physical team low on confidence this Arsenal team would be world beaters if they played teams like Bournemouth every week.
After a bity ping pong start to the match Kolasinac got free on the left and clipped a lofted pass into the six yard box where Welbeck got his head/nose/shoulder/chest or all four to the ball which bobbled past the flat footed Bergovic and into the net. It doesn't matter how you score them as long as they go in especially when the team is looking for a lift.
Thereafter, Arsenal gradually took control of the game helped by the fact that Bournemouth were not closing them down and were giving the ball away when they did win possession back. The second Arsenal goal duly arrived via an expertly taken shot by Lacazette from the outside of the area. His finishing (including the goal against Stoke wrongly flagged as offside) has so far been the highlight of our season.
Soon after the halftime break Welbeck added a third following some loose play from Bournemouth and a swift counter-attack from Arsenal. I'm no fan of Welbeck's especially his finishing, but on this occasion I had to stand and applaud the timing and precision of the shot that hit the only part of the net it could have gone in.
The remainder of the game saw Arsenal for really the first time this season go through their patented repertoire of quick passing, flicks, back heels and one twos. So a welcomed relief and the perfect restart to the season.
Observations
Empty Seats
Disappointing to see so many empty seats at this stage of the season. As someone who spent nearly a decade on the season ticket waiting list it's a sad indictment of the fanbase if season ticket holders do not turn up to support their team irrespective of the form of the team.
Highbury Library
The other disappointing aspect of the home support was just how quiet they were. So quiet in fact that you could hear the dialogue of the players during the match. There was an attempt to get a "we're North Bank" chant going but this quickly fizzled out as only a couple of hundred supporters seemed to have joined in.
3-4-2-1 the new 4-4-2
This seem to be the formation of choice in the EPL as both teams lined up with the same 3-4-2-1 set up. For me, a team should be set up in a way which amplifies the abilities of the players in the team. So playing the latest formation in vogue can be detrimental if you do not have the right personnel. Arsenal's current weakness is the defence and lack of a defensive midfielder to shield the defence, therefore the 3-4-2-1 formation exposes this weakness rather than amplifying the players abilities.
What's Next
Oh no! Thursday night football with a home game against Koln / Cologne. Last time we played in this competition I think was in the '99/00 season when we got to the final and lost on penalties to Galatasaray. Expect a reserve team to be played in our return to this competition that used to be known as the Inter City Fairs Trophy.
For the first team, they are next in action on Sunday with a visit to Stamford Bridge. Repeat of score-line when Kanu scored from near the corner flag should do nicely.