Kai Havertz opened his scoring account for Arsenal with a penalty, contributing to their comfortable victory over struggling Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in the English Premier League.
Havertz, who has faced difficulties since his summer transfer from Chelsea, confidently converted Arsenal’s second penalty, securing their third consecutive away win.
The scoring began with Bukayo Saka, who netted by heading in the rebound from Gabriel Jesus’ shot. Martin Odegaard also joined the score sheet with a well-placed penalty, granting Mikel Arteta’s team a comfortable lead at halftime.
Arsenal’s dominance extended into the second half, culminating in Havertz’s goal. In added time, Ben White headed home from Odegaard’s free-kick, adding a touch of brilliance to their comprehensive victory.
Bournemouth, now under the management of Andoni Iraola, find themselves in the relegation zone after failing to secure a win in their first seven league matches.
Arsenal’s first notable attack of the game resulted in the opening goal, marking their return to winning form following a 2-2 draw against Tottenham the previous weekend.
Odegaard delivered a deep cross, which was headed against the bar by Jesus, and Saka was perfectly positioned to head in the rebound.
This goal put Bournemouth on the defensive against a team that had maintained an unbeaten record in their last 40 Premier League matches when scoring first, a streak that began in January 2022.
Bournemouth’s opportunities were limited in this largely one-sided contest. Dominic Solanke had a clear chance on goal, but William Saliba made a crucial interception to thwart the attempt. Ryan Christie had a shot just before halftime, but Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya, collected it comfortably, securing his third clean sheet in four games.
Max Aarons fouled Eddie Nketiah in the box just before halftime, leading to a penalty. Saka, the usual penalty taker, entrusted the ball to Odegaard, who calmly slotted it into the bottom left corner after a hesitant run-up.
Christie’s challenge on Odegaard in the box resulted in Bournemouth conceding a second penalty, which Havertz confidently placed into the bottom left corner.
Substitute Emile Smith Rowe had a golden opportunity to add to the scoreline late in the game but narrowly missed from close range, while White concluded the scoring with his late header.
Bournemouth has only managed to score once in their four home league games this season, and that lone goal came in their season opener against West Ham back in August. The hosts posed little challenge to Arsenal, who secured a straightforward away victory.