CHERRIES served up a spirited display at Arsenal but ultimately leave north London with nothing to show for their efforts after the ruthless Gunners fought and passed their way to a 3-1 victory.

Theo Walcott struck the hosts' telling second goal eight minutes into the second half, after some fine build-up play by standout Gunners pair Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez had already pounced on a Steve Cook error to give Arsenal a 12th minute advantage, before Callum Wilson became the first Cherries player to score against Arsenal when he stroked home a penalty 11 minutes after the Gunners' opener.

And it was Sanchez, again, who added the gloss by stroking home deep into stoppage time.

Nathan Ake needed to come to Cherries' rescue with the game just two minutes old, the defender applying the block on Ozil after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had darted to the byline to cut back for the German.

Adam Smith, returning from his one-match ban and playing on the right of midfield, then galloped forward and shot wide of Petr Cech's left-hand post.

Ake soon had to put his body on the line once more. Oxlade-Chamberlain's electric burst took him clear of Dan Gosling and drew a trip from Simon Francis.

After Francis had become the second member of Cherries' back four booked in the opening seven minutes – following Cook, cautioned for upending Sanchez – Mohamed Elneny strode onto Sanchez's free-kick to drive goalwards, only to be denied by Ake, bravely throwing himself in the line of the Egyptian's shot.

It seemed only a matter of time before the Gunners breached Cherries' fully-stretched rearguard. But when that moment arrived in the 12th minute the away side were masters of their own downfall.

Cook woefully underhit a pass back to Adam Federici, enabling Sanchez to nip in, unattended and with a free run at goal. The rest was a formality, the Chilean breezing in from the left and facilely rolling his finish past horribly exposed Cherries' No 1 Federici.

Sanchez's mood quickly switched from exultant to incandescent when he was denied a penalty after going down under Ake's challenge. Replays suggested the Dutchman had clipped his opponent – but outside the box.

The whereabouts of the challenge were inconsequential, however, with referee Mike Jones happy to let play continue.

Despite finding themselves under the pump, Cherries were carrying an air of menace whenever they ventured forward. Wilson shot tamely over from Francis's cross, while the enforced withdrawal of Mathieu Debuchy – injured 16 minutes into his first Arsenal appearance in more than a year – lent the Gunners' backline a more vulnerable look

Nevertheless, Cherries equaliser shocked a home support settling in to watch their team swat aside Eddie Howe's visitors.

Francis and Adam Smith set the tone for what was to follow by combining on the right to bully their way into possession.

The initial cross was partially cleared, with Gosling slightly fortuitous to see the ball then ricochet off his knee and back forwards into the box.

Certainly, Nacho Monreal hadn't been expecting this turn of events. The Spaniard was caught on the wrong side of Wilson and hauled the striker to the floor.

One week after the same attacker had been denied a clear-cut penalty at Stoke – and Monreal had escaped punishment for a similar foul in the penalty area at Manchester United – the duo's respective luck turned on its head.

Referee Jones pointed to the spot. Wilson collected himself and nonchalantly rolled the ball into the left corner of goal.

Their equaliser visibly emboldened Cherries. Harry Arter was scythed down by Laurent Koscielny, presenting Junior Stanislas with an opportunity to deliver a free-kick from the right.

Koscielny's defensive header on the set piece was inadvertently directed towards Ake, who nodded back across goal, where the unmarked Adam Smith couldn't keep his headed effort low enough to trouble Cech.

Arter was soon back involved, the midfielder responding to his name being raucously chanted by a packed away section, by playing a clever pass forward to Josh King. King's delicate flick released the overlapping Brad Smith for a fierce strike that Cech beat around his right-hand post.

Arsenal responded through Sanchez and Ozil, the wonderfully skilful pair linking in the box, before the former shot over.

That moment heralded a period of unrelenting home pressure.

Elneny was off target with a long-distance hit, after Cook's half-clearance ran straight to the midfielder – that particular let-off serving as a warning to Howe's side, seconds earlier basking in the Ole's of their supporters, until Sanchez pinched the ball off a dawdling Gosling to put Cherries on the back foot.

The hosts then wanted a penalty of their own, but Jones wasn't convinced Brad Smith had intended to handle Walcott's hard-hit cross.

And the opening half was in its final knockings when Sanchez took control on the right side of the area. Afforded time to shoot, with Brad Smith reluctant to commit, the striker cut across the ball, unleashing a swerving effort that cannoned away off Federici's bar.

Arsenal did, however, reap tangible reward for their first coherent attack after the interval.

A slightly frustrated Sanchez dropped deep in search of possession. Upon receiving the ball he spun and sprayed play out right to Ozil. That duo then indulged in some keep ball, with Ozil the man to finally send in an inswinging cross.

Ake's attempted clearance only succeeded in helping the ball on to the raiding Monreal, whose first time cross reared up for Walcott to head home.

Ozil was then a fraction away from making contact on Sanchez's prodded delivery from the left, with the ubiquitous Sanchez next teeing up Oxlade-Chamberlain for a shot that was blocked by Cook.

Sanchez did then show his uglier side with a nasty tackle that left Arter clutching his ankle and beating the turf in agony.

Jones saw that and the offending player's name went into the referee's notebook.

What Jones didn't detect, though, was recidivist Monreal using his arm to prevent Francis's cute, lofted pass from freeing Adam Smith in the Gunners' box.

The official was perhaps reluctant to award a second penalty to the visitors. But he got this call wrong.

Undeterred, Cherries soon fashioned a real chance to level.

Francis got the run on substitute Olivier Giroud to flick on Arter's corner. The ball landed at the feet of former Gunner Benik Afobe – on for Wilson – whose luck was out when he turned the ball on target but found Cech at his redoubtable best, somehow clawing away from his line.

Giroud had a chance to extend his side's advantage when he swooped onto fellow replacement Aaron Ramsey's cross, but the Frenchman could only hook across goal and wide.

Cherries' last half-chance fell to Lys Mousset, on for Brad Smith, as Howe went for broke. Adam Smith's cross from the left found the Frenchman, who was being buffeted as he directed his header past the post.

And when the ball returned to the other end the game was up.

Giroud continued his run after passing to Ozil, eventually reclaiming possession on the byline. The striker, slightly on the stretch, squared for Sanchez, whose task of knocking the ball over the line was as straightforward as it gets.

It was tough on Cherries. But they ran into a formidable side, here, one that has now been beaten once in its past 23 Premier League matches.

MATCH STATS

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech; Debuchy (Gabriel, 16), Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Elneny, Xhaka; Walcott (Giroud, 76), Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Ramsey, 75); Sanchez.

Unused subs: Gibbs, Coquelin, Iwobi, Ospina (g/k).

Bookings: Mustafi, Sanchez.

Cherries (4-4-1-1): Federici; Francis, Cook, Ake, B Smith (Mousset, 81); A Smith, Gosling, Arter, Stanislas (Ibe, 71); King; Wilson (Afobe, 63).

Unused subs: Mings, Fraser, Pugh, Allsop (g/k).

Bookings: Cook, Francis, B Smith, Gosling.

Referee: Mike Jones (Chester).

Attendance: 59,978.