Arsenal played like a team with something to prove as they overwhelmed Bournemouth in the Saturday evening kick-off.
The Gunners were dominant from start to finish – dictating the pace and direction of the match at all times – and were rewarded for their efforts with a brace for Martin Odegaard and a superb maiden strike for William Saliba.
Mikel Arteta’s only regret will be that his impressive side didn’t came away with more goals to better reflect their dominance.
The performance spoke of a side perhaps still reeling from the bitter disappointment of missing out on a top four place last season. The way in which the side capitulated in the run-in will undoubtedly have hurt and the fact they missed out to Spurs will only have made it worse.
The challenge for Arteta will have been to harness that anger and frustration into something tangible this season and, thus far, he looks to have done exactly that.
Aided by the signings of some genuinely outstanding new faces in Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Saliba, the Gunners have shot out of the blocks with all the aggression and intensity of a side hell bent on righting some wrongs.
Despite holding home advantage, Bournemouth was scarcely in the game. The first half, in particular, was a procession for the Gunners, who barely shifted out of third gear as they made light work of their hosts.
Two strikes from Odegaard were rich reward for his movement and cunning, while Saliba’s excellent effort from the edge of the box was a memorable way to open his account.
There was precious little to spoil the show for Arsenal, save for a few missed opportunities and an excellent fourth goal ruled out by the tightest of margins for Jesus, whose stand-out performance was denied the goal it deserved.
It’s difficult to be anything other than pleased with the way the team performed, in truth. They started well and, crucially, maintained it for 90 minutes. Complacency is never far from the surface in games you dominate early but Arsenal seldom paused for breath.
Sure, Bournemouth are unlikely to offer anyone the sternest of tests this season but the way the Gunners brushed them aside was encouraging.
With Fulham to come next week, there is a real chance to put down a marker for this side. If they can continue to harness the disappointments of last term in their performances, we could go into the World Cup break in a strong position.
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