Arsenal vs. Bournemouth: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Arsenal moved into first place in the Premier League table for at least 24 hours with a 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Monday at the Emirates Stadium.
Mesut Ozil continued his fantastic season with a goal and an assist in the Gunners' league-high 12th victory of the current campaign. The Germany international assisted on Gabriel Paulista's opener in the 27th minute before he linked up with Olivier Giroud on a goal of his own in the 63rd minute.
Arsenal could remain in first place entering the new year if Manchester City defeat Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday.
As for Bournemouth, the loss dropped them down two spots in the Premier League table to 16th place. The Cherries go into 2016 three points ahead of Newcastle United in the relegation race.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from Monday's match at the Emirates.
Winner: Mesut Ozil
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Mesut Ozil was fantastic for Arsenal on Monday as he produced a goal, an assist and countless world-class passes in the final third.
Ozil handed out his 16th assist of the season in the 27th minute as his corner found the head of Gabriel in the middle of the box. The Germany international is now four assists away from tying Thierry Henry's single-season Premier League record.
In the time between his assist and his 63rd-minute strike, Ozil broke apart the Bournemouth back line with his service on corners and brilliant delivery in tight space.
Ozil capped his day with a stellar individual run into the right side of the box in the buildup to his goal. He easily weaved around four defenders and played a give-and-go with Olivier Giroud before he found the left side of the net with a shot.
The outstanding performance from the midfield playmaker helped the Gunners bounce back from their defeat to Southampton on Saturday and temporarily move into first place.
Loser: Joshua King
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Before the Bournemouth back four was torn to shreds by Ozil and the rest of the Arsenal attack, the Cherries put together a few good moves forward in the first 20 minutes.
Despite the impressive pressure put on the Arsenal defense, the Cherries were unable to go ahead through lone striker Joshua King.
King had a few chances to link up with passes from Marc Pugh and Charlie Daniels, but he was unable to challenge Petr Cech before Arsenal found an attacking rhythm.
The inability to produce a clear-cut scoring opportunity in the first 20 minutes cost the Cherries a chance to take hold of the momentum. Once Arsenal woke up in the final third, Bournemouth were caught on the back foot for the rest of the match.
Winner: Gabriel Paulista
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Gabriel Paulista sprung himself into the spotlight in the 27th minute as he powered home a header off Ozil's corner from the right flag.
After he found the back of the net for the first time as an Arsenal player, the 25-year-old center-back made a few key plays on each side of the pitch for the Gunners.
The Brazilian came close to scoring a second in the 34th minute, but his near-post header struck the right post. He had one more opportunity to score off a set piece in the 66th minute, but his headed shot went high on that occasion.
Gabriel also turned in a stellar performance at the back as he made a few key challenges to disrupt Bournemouth's movement going forward.
Thanks to the play of Gabriel and Per Mertesacker in the middle of defense, Arsenal conceded just three shots on goal in the victory.
Loser: Bournemouth's Set-Piece Defending
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The Bournemouth back four didn't make any massive errors when Arsenal attacked through the run of play, but they were exposed on almost every set piece the Gunners took on Monday.
On Gabriel's 27th-minute goal, no one in a Bournemouth shirt tracked the run of the defender, who easily broke free right in front of the net.
As the half went on, the Cherries failed to fix their alignment and marking on the corner kicks sent in by Ozil. Luckily for the visitors, they did not concede another tally off a set piece.
However, the lack of organization by Eddie Howe's side on set pieces is a concern heading into the new year. If the Cherries continue to mark poorly on corners and free-kicks, they could end up in a fierce relegation battle with Newcastle United and a few others.
Winner: Petr Cech
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Petr Cech may not have done anything spectacular in net on Monday, but he did make a few saves when called upon in the 2-0 victory.
The clean sheet helped the former Chelsea man earn the record for most shutouts in Premier League history. His total of 170 is now one better than the mark previously held by David James.
The addition of Cech to the Arsenal squad was one of the top acquisitions of the offseason, and so far, the move is paying off for Arsene Wenger.
With the second half of the season on the horizon, the Gunners will need more clean sheets out of Cech to remain ahead of Leicester City and Manchester City in the title race.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
