Arsenal stayed a point ahead of Manchester United in the race for the Champions League by thrashing Bournemouth to earn their eighth straight Premier League home win. Mesut Ozil, recalled to the side, fired the Gunners ahead before he set up Henrikh Mkhitaryan to sweep in.
A defensive mistake allowed Bournemouth to pull a goal back through Lys Mousset’s simple finish, but any hopes the visitors had of ending a miserable run of eight successive league defeats on the road quickly ended after the break.
Skipper Laurent Koscielny blasted in off the post following a set-piece, then Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added another when he was given the space to race clear and calmly slot in. Substitute Alexandre Lacazette sealed it with a 5-1 victory with a sublime free-kick as the Gunners warmed up for Saturday’s north London derby in style.
Spurs’ defeat at Chelsea leaves Arsenal now four points behind their arch-rivals, with a buoyant Emirates Stadium warning “Tottenham Hotspur, we’re coming for you!” as they celebrated a rampant win.
Bournemouth’s visit was seen as a must-win by Gunners fans with, what would should be, trickier tests to come against Spurs and Manchester United in their next two Premier League games. These matches – plus the two-legged Europa League last-16 tie against Rennes – look set to define manager Unai Emery’s first season at the helm. A healthy points haul against Spurs and United would consolidate the Gunners’ place in the top four as they head into the final stretch.
But failure to beat either would leave the race for the Champions League – which Arsenal have missed out on for the past two campaigns – wide open.