Bournemouth – Arsenal: The Gunners’ Grip Tightens on the Top Spot (2-3)

Arsenal are the team to beat in the Premier League, and the battle of two Basque bosses was another opportunity to atone for the shortcomings of seasons past. The Cherries came out with energy, but the personality and presence of two leading figures helped ensure another victory.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Bournemouth have endured the leanest of winters. Having sat in the top four by the end of October, they have failed to win a single Premier League game since a 2-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest, drawing five and losing five of their last ten matches. It has not all been bad: draws against Chelsea and Manchester United have offered reminders of what the intense, energetic style of Andoni Iraola can bring at its best. But the season of transition he foresaw in the summer is slowly becoming reality.

Their next opponents are the last team that they would wish to be travelling to the south coast. Arsenal arrived at the Vitality Stadium brimming with belief after a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa to end 2025. Mikel Arteta’s men have managed many absences in the last four months to sit four points clear at the summit, resting on foundations of set-pieces and stability at the back. On the . . .