The Gunners put the abject Cherries to the sword in a game that was never competitive. Lacazette's strike for our second was sublime. We snapped into tackles and allowed Bournemouth few looks until well into the second half, at which point the points were won. I am not going to get excited about this game. It wasn't so much that Arsenal was good as it was Bournemouth being bad. We should have had more goals.
If someone had told you that four games in we'd be sitting on six points, I don't think you'd have been surprised. Few expected a good result at Anfield, and Stoke is always a tough place to visit (as Man U found yesterday). The thrashing by Liverpool was discouraging (if City beat them 5-0 and the Reds beat us 4-0, will City beat us 9-0 or 20-0?), but decent calls from the ref and the linesman should have been enough for a 2-1 win at whatever they're calling the Brittania these days. On balance, though, I don't like what I'm seeing from the team. They have lost faith in the system and the manager, and maybe with each other.
The two new guys have been really good. Lacazette will score 20 in the league this year if he stays healthy. Kolasinac is a beast--I like everything about his game, and he will only get better. We can still expect excellence from Kos and Nacho and Cech. Bellerin seems to be rounding back into form. Giroud will be a valuable asset. Welbeck will contribute. It's the midfield that worries me. Coquelin's day is about done (even before the hamstring injury). Elneny isn't hitting his stride here; he can do better. Walcott just needs to accept his utility player status and start doing his job--all of it. Ozil seems unmotivated, and he should learn to play defense too. Who knows what Jack can do? Ramsey needs discipline. The occasional rumble forward can be devastating to an opponent; abandoning his defensive duties on a regular basis has been devastating to us. Xhaka is like a dumb version of Arteta: impressive passing range, average defensive abilities, the ability to score from distance a few times a season, and (unlike Mikel) shockingly poor judgment several times a game. He gives the ball away too much and he does crazy things trying to undo his mistakes. He's also stubborn, refusing to change his game even when it's killing the team. Can Wenger drum some sense into him? A lot depends on it.
The Europa League draw isn't bad. A trudge to Belarus late this month to play their tractor boys, Belgrade in October, and a short plane ride to Cologne in November for the away games. If we don't win the home fixtures, shame on us. First up is Koln on Thursday. I bet I know who Podolski will be supporting. I hope we take all the cup competitions very seriously. There are men at the club with prodigious talent and a point to prove, like Ospina, Iwobi, Wilshere, Walcott, Chambers, Debuchy, and Elneny (and more). They aren't just guys you throw in there to rest your starters; they're capable of winning games going away against the likes of Belgrade and Doncaster.
It'll be interesting. I hope it's in a good way.
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