Sanchez’s double keeps Arsenal in title hunt
Arsenal’s Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez
celebrates after scoring the opening
goal of the English Premier League
football match between Arsenal and
Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium
in London on November 27, 2016.
League leaders Chelsea as Alexis
Sanchez bragged a brace in a 3-1 win
over Bournemouth on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger’s side are within three
points of top spot after Chile forward
Sanchez struck in each half at the
Emirates Stadium to take his goal tally
for the season to 10.
Sanchez gave Arsenal an early lead
before Callum Wilson equalised with a
penalty before the interval.
Theo Walcott headed Arsenal back in
front just 24 hours after the birth of
his second child and Sanchez wrapped
up the points.
After drawing three of their last four
league games to fall six points behind
Chelsea, this was a timely victory for
fourth-placed Arsenal, who are now
unbeaten in their last 19 matches in
all competitions and firmly in the title
race.
Even Wenger conceded Arsenal had
lost their momentum of late and, in a
bid to revitalise his team, the boss
made seven changes from the midweek
draw against Paris Saint-Germain.
France striker Olivier Giroud dropped
to the bench and there was a recall for
right-back Mathieu Debuchy, who last
played for Arsenal in November 2015.
On-loan Arsenal midfielder Jack
Wilshere was ineligible to play for
Bournemouth against his parent club,
but his absence didn’t stop the visitors
sticking to manager Eddie Howe’s
philosophy of playing out from the
back.
It proved a fatal indulgence in the
12th minute.
Bournemouth goalkeeper Adam
Federici rolled the ball out to Steve
Cook on the left and instead of
knocking it long under pressure, the
defender tried a back-pass that was
intercepted by Sanchez, who gleefully
slotted into the empty net.
Wilshere, watching from the stands,
buried his head in his coat as injured
Arsenal team-mate Danny Welbeck
turned to indulge in some banter with
his friend.
– Debatable –
Sanchez caused more chaos in the
Bournemouth defence moments later
with a surging run that ended with
contact from Nathan Ake, but no foul
was given by referee Mike Jones as
Arsenal appealed for a penalty.
If that was frustrating for Arsenal,
there was worse to come at the hands
of Jones in the 23rd minute when he
gave Bournemouth a debatable penalty
for Nacho Monreal’s collision with
Wilson, who picked himself up to slot
home his club’s first ever goal against
the Gunners.
Just before Bournemouth’s leveller,
Debuchy’s return had come to a
premature end when he limped off
with the latest in a long line of
injuries.
His departure seemed to destabilise
Arsenal’s back four and Bournemouth
should have taken advantage when
Ake headed a free-kick towards the
unmarked Adam Smith, who could
only direct his header well over.
Arsenal are usually the ones
bewitching their opponents with slick
passing, but they were getting a taste
of their own medicine from
Bournemouth as another flowing move
gave Brad Smith space for a shot that
Petr Cech saved at his near post.
Sanchez tried to restore order just
before half-time with a thunderous
shot that cannoned back off the
crossbar.
That warning shot foreshadowed a
more dynamic period for Arsenal after
half-time and they regained the lead
in the 53rd minute.
Mesut Ozil’s cross was deflected on by
Ake to Monreal, who scooped a cross
back towards Walcott and the Arsenal
winger nodded home from close-range
before marking the birth of son Arlo
with a ‘rock the baby’ celebration.
Having been embroiled in penalty
controversy in the first half, Jones
made another dubious call when he
denied Bournemouth a spot-kick after
Monreal blocked Simon Francis’s pass
with his arm.
Bournemouth were finishing strongly
and it took a fine save from Cech to
deny Benik Afobe, but Sanchez eased
Arsenal’s nerves in the 90th minute
when he tapped in from Giroud’s
cross.
celebrates after scoring the opening
goal of the English Premier League
football match between Arsenal and
Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium
in London on November 27, 2016.
Arsenal closed the gap on Premier
League leaders Chelsea as Alexis
Sanchez bragged a brace in a 3-1 win
over Bournemouth on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger’s side are within three
points of top spot after Chile forward
Sanchez struck in each half at the
Emirates Stadium to take his goal tally
for the season to 10.
Sanchez gave Arsenal an early lead
before Callum Wilson equalised with a
penalty before the interval.
Theo Walcott headed Arsenal back in
front just 24 hours after the birth of
his second child and Sanchez wrapped
up the points.
After drawing three of their last four
league games to fall six points behind
Chelsea, this was a timely victory for
fourth-placed Arsenal, who are now
unbeaten in their last 19 matches in
all competitions and firmly in the title
race.
Even Wenger conceded Arsenal had
lost their momentum of late and, in a
bid to revitalise his team, the boss
made seven changes from the midweek
draw against Paris Saint-Germain.
France striker Olivier Giroud dropped
to the bench and there was a recall for
right-back Mathieu Debuchy, who last
played for Arsenal in November 2015.
On-loan Arsenal midfielder Jack
Wilshere was ineligible to play for
Bournemouth against his parent club,
but his absence didn’t stop the visitors
sticking to manager Eddie Howe’s
philosophy of playing out from the
back.
It proved a fatal indulgence in the
12th minute.
Bournemouth goalkeeper Adam
Federici rolled the ball out to Steve
Cook on the left and instead of
knocking it long under pressure, the
defender tried a back-pass that was
intercepted by Sanchez, who gleefully
slotted into the empty net.
Wilshere, watching from the stands,
buried his head in his coat as injured
Arsenal team-mate Danny Welbeck
turned to indulge in some banter with
his friend.
– Debatable –
Sanchez caused more chaos in the
Bournemouth defence moments later
with a surging run that ended with
contact from Nathan Ake, but no foul
was given by referee Mike Jones as
Arsenal appealed for a penalty.
If that was frustrating for Arsenal,
there was worse to come at the hands
of Jones in the 23rd minute when he
gave Bournemouth a debatable penalty
for Nacho Monreal’s collision with
Wilson, who picked himself up to slot
home his club’s first ever goal against
the Gunners.
Just before Bournemouth’s leveller,
Debuchy’s return had come to a
premature end when he limped off
with the latest in a long line of
injuries.
His departure seemed to destabilise
Arsenal’s back four and Bournemouth
should have taken advantage when
Ake headed a free-kick towards the
unmarked Adam Smith, who could
only direct his header well over.
Arsenal are usually the ones
bewitching their opponents with slick
passing, but they were getting a taste
of their own medicine from
Bournemouth as another flowing move
gave Brad Smith space for a shot that
Petr Cech saved at his near post.
Sanchez tried to restore order just
before half-time with a thunderous
shot that cannoned back off the
crossbar.
That warning shot foreshadowed a
more dynamic period for Arsenal after
half-time and they regained the lead
in the 53rd minute.
Mesut Ozil’s cross was deflected on by
Ake to Monreal, who scooped a cross
back towards Walcott and the Arsenal
winger nodded home from close-range
before marking the birth of son Arlo
with a ‘rock the baby’ celebration.
Having been embroiled in penalty
controversy in the first half, Jones
made another dubious call when he
denied Bournemouth a spot-kick after
Monreal blocked Simon Francis’s pass
with his arm.
Bournemouth were finishing strongly
and it took a fine save from Cech to
deny Benik Afobe, but Sanchez eased
Arsenal’s nerves in the 90th minute
when he tapped in from Giroud’s
cross.
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