Draw not enough for Arsenal

Arsenal came from three down to salvage a 3-3 draw at Bournemouth but was the point enough to encourage the idea that the Gunners can finally win the Premier League title? Not really, argues Adam Bate.

“I know they played two days ago but that is not an excuse,” said Arsenal legend Thierry Henry watching on from the Sky Sports studio at half time. “They are not at it. I know it’s not easy, I’ve been there. But you have to find a way to win. Big teams find a way to win.”

Arsenal did at least find a way to draw, coming back from three down to clinch a dramatic point in stoppage time. It was a stunning comeback and will do much to stave off the more severe criticism that was brewing throughout much of the evening. But questions remain.

“The question is why they didn’t start like that,” added Henry afterwards. “If you want to win the league you have to make sure you win at these places. The bottom line is that you didn’t put any pressure on Chelsea to go to White Hart Lane tomorrow.”

Bournemouth started the stronger right from the kick off. In the opening half an hour they covered more ground and made more sprints, had more possession and played more passes. In short, Arsenal were not only outworked but outplayed.

While Bournemouth were impressive, Arsenal were culpable. It was poor communication between Hector Bellerin and Aaron Ramsey that Charlie Daniels punished for the opener. It was Granit Xhaka who needlessly conceded a penalty for a push on Ryan Fraser soon after.

Shkodran Mustafi stopped a third goal before the break with a smart tackle on Josh King and even managed to extend his unbeaten run in an Arsenal shirt to 18 games. Olivier Giroud was the principle figure in that – providing two assists before …

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