Arsenal Will Beat Bournemouth And Eddie Howe's Pride

Arsenal’s match against Bournemouth this evening provides them with a good opportunity to apply some pressure to table-toppers Chelsea. With Conte’s men facing a potential point-dropping test at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, an Arsenal win is essential for the maintenance of a competitive title race.

The good news for Arsenal fans is that Arsene Wenger’s team have won all three of their previous Premier League meetings with Bournemouth, scoring seven goals and conceding just one in the process.

Eddie Howe’s unwavering adherence to an attacking footballing philosophy, even in the face of teams with more talent, saw them impressively avoid relegation last season and this season they sit comfortably in ninth place.

But Howe’s stubborn stance is the very reason for their woeful record against the Gunners and the reason Arsenal can expect to leave the Vitality Stadium with three points tonight.

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Eddie Howe’s teams simply don’t do the things the other less well-resourced teams do to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm and confidence. They will go toe-to-toe with Arsenal and Howe’s pride will see the Cherries seeking to emulate the Gunners, rather than aggravating them.

Niggly fouls and subterfuge, so often effectively utilised against Arsene Wenger’s teams, are a no-no under Howe’s stewardship. In fact, only four teams have committed fewer fouls than the south-coasters and only Swansea have fewer yellow cards.

Long aerial balls that Arsenal’s center-backs traditionally find hard to cope with will also be off of the cards this evening. Bournemouth prefer the short, sharp pass. Only Arsenal and Manchester City have played fewer long balls so far this season and on average Bournemouth complete 391 short passes per game, the eighth most in the division.

Howe’s keep-ball philosophy begins with his goalkeeper. Artur Boruc has completed 142 passes this season (one of the most in the division for a goalkeeper) and has an average pass length of 41 meters. The only goalkeepers in the league with a shorter average pass length are Bravo, Loris and Courtois. The confidence with which the Pole distributes the ball pervades the team. Omnipresent Cherries defender Francis is one of the best ball-playing defenders in the country, having so far completed more successful passes than the likes of Laurent Koscielny, John Stones and Virgil van Dijk. Additionally, he has made 16 key passes.

All of the above will suit Arsenal’s likely front-man, Alexis Sanchez. The hungry, hyperactive Chilean is a mistake-seeking missile and will be the first to pounce on a loose or under-hit pass.

The Cherries won’t be bypassing their midfield or dragging their midfielders into a back six, à la West Brom at the Emirates on Boxing Day. And why should they? Harry Arter keeps things ticking as well as anyone. In fact, he has completed more passes than Mesut Ozil and David Silva this season.

There will be no cries of ‘Get rid of it!’ from Howe on the touchline. Bournemouth are the only team outside of the top six to average a possession rate of over 50%.

Next: Arsenal Vs Bournemouth: 5 Key Players To Watch

It’s all very honorable from Howe, whose ambitions extend beyond this game and beyond Bournemouth, but the reality is that Arsenal do what Bournemouth do ten times better because they have better players. Howe’s honour will, tonight at least, be Bournemouth’s undoing.

Arsenal Will Beat Bournemouth And Eddie Howe’s Pride

By Jack Dooley | Jan 3, 2017

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