TWO goals in as many first-half minutes saw Arsenal seize the initiative en route to a 2-0 victory on their first visit to Cherries.
Mesut Ozil’s close-range volley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s blast across goal was enough for the Gunners to end a four-match winless run in the Premier League with the mercurial Aaron Ramsey at the hub of both moves.
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The match may have taken a different course had Mathieu Flamini been dismissed for launching into a two-footed challenge on Dan Gosling early on but in truth, Arsenal were resolute and worthy of victory despite a spirited effort from the hosts.
Boss Eddie Howe named the same starting XI as he did at Crystal Palace with Junior Stanislas fit enough for a place on the bench. Glenn Murray dropped out of the 18.
Cherries bristled from the off but openings were non-existent early on and while Arsenal sporadically imposed their passing game, the hosts looked solid.
The first flashpoint came on nine minutes when Gosling picked up possession in the middle and was forced to evade Flamini's uncontrolled lunge.
The Frenchman made contact with only the ball but was still fortunate to escape with just a yellow card from man-in-the-middle Kevin Friend.
Arsenal’s first effort arrived on 14 minutes when Ramsey’s ball over the top found the well-timed run of Alexis Sanchez but his volley from an acute angle flew high and wide.
Cherries kept probing but found in difficult to breach the visitors’ 18-yard box with Matt Ritchie and Andrew Surman having shots charged down by Nacho Monreal and Flamini respectively.
However, the Gunners made the breakthrough midway through the first half when Ramsey was left in space 30 yards out to loft a ball to Olivier Giroud who nodded down for Ozil to lash home with aplomb.
And within a minute, Arsenal had doubled their money with a customary cutting move.
Steve Cook nudged away a ball from the left under pressure from Sanchez but that man Ramsey popped up in a pocket of space, sweeping play out to Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right who thumped in off the far post.
A fired-up Harry Arter set about repairing the damage with a driving run and dipping blast from the edge of the box which Cech tipped over the bar with a save that made the spectacular look easy.
Marc Pugh set pulses racing by latching on to Arter’s raking ball from deep but despite leaving Gabriel Paulista trailing in his wake, the Lancastrian winger was penalised for offside.
After a lull in goalmouth action, Charlie Daniels surged forward and fed Ritchie but his first-time hit seven minutes before half-time flew high and wide.
Surman’s diagonal passes found Adam Smith regularly throughout the half and another teed up Cherries’ opening of the half.
The full-back charged towards the near post at an acute angle but Cech was alert and snuffed out the danger with his feet.
Cherries began the second half with purpose with Pugh’s trickery bamboozling Flamini and after play had broken down, Ritchie and Gosling set up Smith to shoot agonisingly into the side netting.
More brisk play saw Arter find Benik Afobe but a heavy touch let Paulista off the hook.
Afobe then turned provider, finding Pugh to jink inside but under pressure from two Arsenal defenders, his effort drifted harmlessly away.
At the other end, Giroud headed straight at Artur Boruc having shaken off Cook following an Ozil corner, while Sanchez waltzed past Smith moments later only for his cutback to evade everyone.
The Cherries charge continued with Gosling rolling a quickly-taken free kick to Ritchie who raced forward but blazed over.
Howe made a double change, introducing Stanislas and Joshua King with the former whipping in a low cross for the Norway international late on but it skimmed off his head and against the back of Paulista.
King could not convert a similar ball from Smith with a minute left and Cherries knew Lady Luck had left Vitality Stadium when in added time, Cook’s thump towards goal hit Cech with Arter’s shot on the rebound saved at the near post.
MATCH FACTS
Cherries: Boruc, Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie (Stanislas, 66), Gosling (King, 66) , Surman, Arter, Pugh, Afobe (Grabban, 77). Unused subs: Distin, Iturbe, O’Kane, Federici (g/k).
Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Coquelin, 67), Ozil, Alexis (Gibbs, 81), Giroud (Walcott, 90). Unused subs: Mertesacker, Iwobi, Campbell, Ospina (g/k).
Booked: Flamini.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).
Attendance: 11,357, including 1,391 visiting supporters.
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