The satisfaction of a straightforward victory was, for Arsenal, topped by a moment that may have lasting significance. Kai Havertz has been subjected to intense scrutiny since moving from Chelsea, struggling to find his groove even if opprobrium has been premature in the extreme. A run of respectable all-round showings needed some end product and it came when, handed the chance to see off Bournemouth’s perfunctory challenge, he comfortably beat Neto from the spot. The away support had cheered when he took the ball; they could hail his first goal for the club within moments and Arsenal’s players, led by Gabriel Magalhães, made sure Havertz soaked up the acclaim.
Bukayo Saka and, with another penalty, Martin Ødegaard had already put Arsenal comfortably ahead. Ben White completed the rout with a header in added time and the win breathed life into their efforts to keep pace with Manchester City. It also meant the anticipated battle of wits between Mikel Arteta and Andoni Iraola, boyhood teammates at the San Sebastian club Antiguoko, was settled before it could ever catch light. Bournemouth dropped into the bottom three with this result and, while they can point to a softer-looking October after a tough start, need to become tougher in both boxes sooner rather than later.
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