Super Eagles star, Alex Iwobi played an important part as Arsenal recorded a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in Sunday’s clash at the Vitality Stadium to move to within one point of a place in the top four of the English Premier League table.
It was the 11th league appearance of the 2018/19 season for the 22-year-old under the watchful eyes of coach Unai Emery.
Iwobi lasted 82 minutes before making way for Welsh international Aaron Ramsey.
A calamitous own goal from Jefferson Lerma was cancelled out by a Josh King strike just before the break, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s close-range effort gave Arsenal all three points.
The Gunners have now closed the gap to London rivals Chelsea and extended their unbeaten run in the league to 11 games – while Bournemouth remain in eighth position after suffering a third successive defeat in the top flight.
The visitors took time to grow into the match but by the midway point of the first half, they were beginning to create regular opportunities and Iwobi and Aubameyang should have both done better with efforts inside the area.
However, Arsenal’s goal eventually arrived in comical fashion as Jefferson Lerma sent a volley from 15 yards into his own net after attempting to put Sead Kolasinac’s cross behind for a corner.
Arsenal remained on the front foot with Iwobi seeing a curling effort from distance well kept out by Begovic, and it had reached a point where Bournemouth were looking forward to half time.
However, the Cherries stunned their opponents by finding an equaliser in the final seconds of the first half, with a blistering counter-attack involving Wilson and Brooks being finished off by King curling a shot into the top corner of the net from 16 yards out.
That attempt triggered a dominant period for the Gunners with Aubameyang firing over from 20 yards out, and it did not come as a huge surprise when the North London outfit regained the lead.
Kolasinac was found on the left flank and the wing-back’s resulting cross was perfect for Aubameyang to divert the ball into the far corner from close range.
With eight minutes left on the clock, Emery sacrificed Iwobi for Ramsey as the Gunners saw out the game and picked the maximum points at stake.
