Premier League

AFC BOURNEMOUTH 0
ARSENAL 4 (Saka 17, Odegaard 44 pen, Havertz 53 pen, White 90+3)

MIKEL Arteta believes Kai Havertz’s first goal for Arsenal will “change everything” after the German international finally got on the scoresheet this afternoon (Saturday) in a commanding 4-0 win over Bournemouth.

The Gunners strolled to three points at the Vitality Stadium, with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Ben White also all finding the back of the net as the north Londoners continued their unbeaten start to the season.

But it was a well-taken penalty by Havertz early in the second half that grabbed the headlines as the summer signing marked his 10th appearance for the club with a much-needed goal after Odegaard was recklessly brought down in the box by Ryan Christie.

What impressed Arteta even more than the composed finish was the camaraderie shown by his players, who seem to be deciding in the moment who should take the spot kick when one is awarded. For Arsenal’s third goal they quickly presented Havertz with the ball, despite the fact that Odegaard had earlier taken a penalty to make it 2-0 after Max Aarons slid in and caught Eddie Nketiah.

“I am really happy for the win but even happier to be part of something, part of a team that shows the human qualities that they have shown today, without me telling them absolutely nothing, to show that and that empathy towards a player that has some question marks to resolve externally,” said Arteta when asked about Havertz being handed the penalty, and the celebrations that followed.

“The players won me even more today, they’ve done it in a really natural way, I am delighted they have made that decision. I’m so thankful to our supporters the way they sang his (Havertz) name, have made him feel in the way he has felt today and if there’s a person in a dressing room that deserve that, it’s Kai Havertz. So happy for him.”

Asked if the goal will give the former Chelsea man confidence, Arteta added: “It will probably change everything, but first of all if he had any question marks about how we feel about him, how much we love him, how much we appreciate everything that he does. I think that’s out.

“I think in sport, Usain Bolt said it once, ‘I have to train four years to run nine seconds’. Sometimes you have to do a lot and you don’t see that, but in that moment you see it, I’m sure what he’s been through in the last few weeks, this moment is worth every moment of the other moments.”

It had taken Arsenal just 17 minutes to break the deadlock with Saka heading in the rebound from Gabriel Jesus’ effort. Odegaard scored his spot-kick just before the break, before Havertz finally joined the party. White’s header in stoppage time then capped a routine victory for the visitors on the south coast.

“Very happy, very happy, the way we approached the game since yesterday, the team was ready to play,” said Arteta. “We knew about the challenge we had ahead of us against a team that don’t have what they deserve in terms of the games they have played, they don’t give you any time, the ball is always under pressure, small ground, very difficult to get out of that but I think we read the game really well and earnt the right to win it.”

Bournemouth: Neto, Aarons, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez (Semenyo, 83), Christie (Smith, 83), Cook, Tavernier (Sinisterra, 59), Billing (Rothwell, 75), Kluivert (Ouattara, 59), Solanke
Substitutes not used: Radu, Brooks, Moore, Traore

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko (Tomiyasu, 69), Rice (Jorginho, 81) Odegaard, Havertz (Smith Rowe, 81), Saka (Vieira, 76), Nketiah (Nelson, 69), Jesus
Substitutes not used: Ramsdale, Kiwior, Elneny, Trossard