BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 27: Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal at Vitality Stadium on January 27, 2020 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Arsenal Vs Bournemouth: 5 things we learned – Welcome back, Eddie Nketiah
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal arrives at the stadium prior to the FA Cup Fourth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal at Vitality Stadium on January 27, 2020 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
4. Welcome back, Eddie
It was a frustrating six months for Eddie Nketiah at Leeds United. He moved north in the hope of regular football. He never really got it, making just two league starts. Arsenal recalled him as a result of his limited opportunities. Mikel Arteta, consequently, is keen to use the 20-year-old centre-forward as much as possible, starting with 90 minutes here.
Nketiah’s performance was an encouraging one. While service was limited, especially in the second half, he worked immensely hard when out of possession, pressed the Bournemouth defenders incessantly, ran the channels, held up the ball well with his back to the goal, and did the dirty work that a modern-day centre-forward must do.
He also got that crucial goal. After laying off the ball for Joe Willock, he immediately span and burst into the penalty area to get on the end of Bukayo Saka’s cross. That goalscoring instinct was clear, as it has been throughout his young career, and Arteta will look to use it throughout the remainder of the season.
Arsenal ripped through a hapless Bournemouth side, raced out to a two-goal lead, and held onto the lead in the latter stages to see themselves through to the fifth round of the FA Cup. Two academy graduates scored the goals, Bukayo Saka first hammering home from a tight angle before teeing up Eddie Nketiah, and a fifth-round tie against Portsmouth now awaits.</p>
<h2><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/pain-in-the-arsenal-podcast-on-arsenal-fc/id1314514440?ign-mpt=uo%3D4%26amp%3Buo%3D4&mt=2%22>Listen to the latest Episode of the Pain In The Arsenal Podcast here!—The Rebuild 2.0</a></h2>
<p>Here are five things we learned from <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51208535">the 2-1 victory</a>.</p>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-98094" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1202352523-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Hector Bellerin of Arsenal is put under pressure by Lewis Cook of AFC Bournemouth during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal at Vitality Stadium on January 27, 2020 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>5. Move the ball</h4>
<p>The first half-hour was the best 30 minutes of the season. Admittedly, any long-term conclusions drawn should be taken with a rather hefty pinch of salt given the tepidity of Bournemouth’s performance, but this was a superb period of utter dominance from the young Gunners that saw them rip to shreds a Premier League away from home.</p>
<p>The main reason for their ruthless control of the match during this 30-minute period? The speed at which the ball moved. The tempo of the team’s passing has been something that I have harped on about for many years with Arsenal now. This was the reason why. Bournemouth could not get close to their visitors because every pass was played with speed, accuracy, often first or second time.</p>
<p>It is very difficult to defend against a ball that moves quickly. It can disintegrate the defensive structures that you position your defence in, unpick your high press with one crucial pass, and not give you time to set up in deep positions. There were 22 passes in the build-up to Bukayo Saka’s goal. It involved all 10 outfield players. That summarises their performance in the first 30 minutes, and it all stemmed from moving the ball quickly.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. Welcome back, Eddie </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-98120" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1202348148-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Eddie Nketiah of Arsenal arrives at the stadium prior to the FA Cup Fourth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal at Vitality Stadium on January 27, 2020 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>4. Welcome back, Eddie</h4>
<p>It was a frustrating six months for <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=eddie+nketiah%22>Eddie Nketiah</a> at Leeds United. He moved north in the hope of regular football. He never really got it, making just two league starts. Arsenal recalled him as a result of his limited opportunities. Mikel Arteta, consequently, is keen to use the 20-year-old centre-forward as much as possible, starting with 90 minutes here.</p>
<p>Nketiah’s performance was an encouraging one. While service was limited, especially in the second half, he worked immensely hard when out of possession, pressed the Bournemouth defenders incessantly, ran the channels, held up the ball well with his back to the goal, and did the dirty work that a modern-day centre-forward must do.</p>
<p>He also got that crucial goal. After laying off the ball for Joe Willock, he immediately span and burst into the penalty area to get on the end of Bukayo Saka’s cross. That goalscoring instinct was clear, as it has been throughout his young career, and Arteta will look to use it throughout the remainder of the season.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3. My word, Matteo Guendouzi </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-98119" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1202363031-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Matteo Guendouzi of Arsenal clashes with Dan Gosling of AFC Bournemouth during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal at Vitality Stadium on January 27, 2020 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>3. My word, Matteo Guendouzi</h4>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=matteo+guendouzi%22>Matteo Guendouzi</a> was Arsenal’s best player for the first two months of the season. Playing with passion, desire, energy and quality, he ran the central midfield time and again, putting in brilliant performances week after week, even as his teammates flailed around him.</p>
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<p>Since then, the Frenchman has struggled a little. His energy levels have dipped, his positional ill-discipline was exploited, and Mikel Arteta started his tenure with the hair-raising youngster on the bench, Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira anchoring the midfield in his stead. Whether that decision is the right one can be debated ’til kingdom come, but it is not up to Guendouzi to fight for his place. Well, he didn’t exactly hurt his argument here.</p>
<p>Guendouzi was back to his all-action, all-encompassing style under Unai Emery. He made eight recoveries of possession in the first half, more than any other player on the pitch, maintained a 91% pass completion rate throughout, utterly dominated the midfield area, despite often being the only Arsenal player in that zone as Xhaka shifted wide, and even had time to wind up the entirety of the Vitality Stadium.</p>
<p>This Guendouzi at his very, very best. Whether that is enough to force his way back into the Premier League XI remains to be seen. Torreira and Xhaka have been imperious under Arteta thus far. But competition for places is no bad thing, and Guendouzi is most certainly providing it.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. The Arteta effect </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal acknowledges the fans following the FA Cup Fourth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal at Vitality Stadium on January 27, 2020 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>2. The Arteta effect</h4>
<p>For those that were not sure what would happen when Arsenal hired a rookie 37-year-old head coach who had never led a team in his life, the first month of his tenure will certainly have calmed any concerns. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=mikel+arteta%22>Mikel Arteta</a> has made an excellent start to life as the Gunners head coach and this was just another example of the impact he is having on the team.</p>
<p>The 2-3-5 shape in possession caused Bournemouth fits. Granit Xhaka’s hybrid left-back role suited him perfectly, while Bukayo Saka exploited high more advanced position, linking up with Gabriel Martinelli superbly. The high press was again working in full effect, the ball moved quicker than ever, and Arteta even had time to complain about his team’s passing in his post-match interview.</p>
<p>In all, Arsenal have lost just one game under Arteta, and that was one when they dominated for 30 minutes and only squandered in the final ten minutes. They have enjoyed imperious periods in every match, showed progress in almost every aspect of their performance, and now have genuine and significant hope for the future. The Arteta effect is in full-flight.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal battles for possession with Harry Wilson of AFC Bournemouth during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal at Vitality Stadium on January 27, 2020 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>1. Bukayo Saka is special</h4>
<p>It took four minutes for <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=bukayo+saka%22>Bukayo Saka</a> to notch his third goal of the season. It was a terrific move that ended with Saka smashing a clinical strike into the roof of the goal from a tight angle. 22 minutes later, he had his sixth assist of the season.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Pushing wide on the left, Saka stretched the Bournemouth defence, waited patiently for Joe Willock to find him after Eddie Nketiah’s neat layoff, before then finding Nketiah with an accurate cross to the edge of the penalty area that the Englishman duly converted. In 26 minutes, he had a goal and an assist.</p>
<p>That is now three matches that Saka has a goal and an assist in this season. He is the only Arsenal player to have done so this season. And Saka has spent much of the year playing at left-back, a testament to his commitment, game-intelligence, and attacking threat from out wide. At just 18, he already looks like one of the premier players on the pitch.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Arsenal Vs Bournemouth: Player ratings" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-player-ratings-young-gunners-go-wild/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-5-things-learned-welcome-back-eddie-nketiah/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2020/01/27/arsenal-vs-bournemouth-player-ratings-young-gunners-go-wild/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Arsenal Vs Bournemouth: Player ratings </a> </div>
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<p>Like many other young kids in the squad, he really is a special talent. Arsenal are very fortunate to have him.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">
