2017-18 PL MATCHDAY THREAD

We are back boys!

Best way to comeback from past few frustrating weeks...

ARSENAL 3 - 0 AFC BOURNEMOUTH
D. Welbeck (6)
A. Lacazette (27)
D. Welbeck (50)

KEY OPTA STATS:

• Arsenal have won their last seven Premier League games at the Emirates, their longest such run at home since April 2015 (nine successive wins).
  
• Alexandre Lacazette became only the second Arsenal player to score in his first two home Premier League games for the club, after Marouane Chamakh in 2010.
  
• Bournemouth have become only the ninth team to lose their opening four games to a Premier League season, though four of the previous eight have managed to avoid relegation.
  
• Danny Welbeck has scored three goals in four Premier League games this season, having scored just two in 16 appearances in the competition last term.
  
• This was only the second time that Danny Welbeck has both scored and provided an assist in a Premier League game for Arsenal, with the other being at Aston Villa in September 2014.
  
• The Gunners have won by at least a two-goal margin in all four of their previous home meetings with Bournemouth in all competitions.

CHELSEA 0 - 0 ARSENAL

Both sides were left to rue missed first-half opportunities in a match between two London rivals that failed to catch fire until the Brazil defender received his first-ever Premier League red card with three minutes remaining.

The Gunners had the better of the opening half and should have gone into the break ahead when Aaron Ramsey hit the post and Alexandre Lacazette somehow fired over from the close-range rebound. Chelsea had earlier missed a one-on-one opportunity from Pedro, who was foiled by Petr Cech.

The second half lacked the excitement of the first and the introductions of Eden Hazard and Alexis Sanchez from the two substitutes' benches did not provide the desired spark. And David Luiz saw red for a high challenge on Sead Kolasinac as the game neared its conclusion, marking the third straight match Chelsea have had a player sent off against Arsenal and rounding off a poor performance from Antonio Conte's men.

KEY OPTA STATS:

• This was Arsene Wenger's 59th match versus Chelsea with Arsenal, making them the club he’s faced the most often during his time at the Gunners.
  
• Chelsea failed to score in a competitive home match under Antonio Conte for the first time (27 games).
  
• The last time that they failed to net in a competitive game at Stamford Bridge was back in April 2016 against Manchester City (0-3) under Guus Hiddink – 29 games ago.
  
• This was the first 0-0 draw between these two sides at Stamford Bridge since April 2005 and the first time that Chelsea have failed to score at home against the Gunners since then, after 12 successive home games with a goal versus them.
  
• Arsenal have now failed to score in eight of their last 14 trips to Stamford Bridge in all competitions.
  
• This is the first time that Arsenal have failed to score in as many as three of their opening five league games in a season since 1998-99 (also three).
  
• Chelsea have now been given six red cards in the Premier League against Arsenal – their joint-most against a single opponent (along with vs Liverpool, Man Utd and Everton).
  
• Arsenal have gone 14 matches without beating a top-six team away from home in the top flight.
  
• Chelsea's run of five straight home league wins over Arsenal is ended by the draw.

It's not PL game, but LoL on Alexis starting in this cup game. Arsene showing him the mid finger.

Proper banter

EFL Cup (CARABAO CUP)

ARSENAL vs DONCASTER ROVERS

@ EMIRATES STADIUM

Arsenal XI (3-4-3):
Ospina; Holding, Mertesacker, Chambers; Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Wilshere, Nelson; Walcott, Giroud, Sanchez.

Arsenal Substitutes:
Macey, Monreal, Willock, Dasilva, Iwobi, Nketiah, Akpom.

Arsenal make a number of changes from the side that drew with Chelsea at the weekend. Jack Wilshere makes his first start in 16 months for the club. Wenger has also gone with a strong attacking front line of Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott, replacing Welbeck, Lacazette and Iwobi.

ARSENAL 1 - 0 DONCASTER ROVERS

Theo Walcott scored his first goal of the season to earn Arsenal a 1-0 win over Doncaster Rovers and a place in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

And a rare full game for Wilshere... :O

u wot m9

ARSENAL VS WEST BROM

Arsenal will look to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions and catapult themselves into the top half of the Premier League when they face West Brom on Monday.

Potential starting XI:
Cech; Monreal, Mustafi, Koscielny; Bellerin, Kolasinac, Ramsey, Xhaka, Ozil/Wilshere; Sanchez, Lacazette.

Mustafi is a disaster.

ARSENAL 2 - 0 WEST BROMWICH ALBION

A. Lacazette 20',67' (pen)

Key Opta Facts:
- Arsene Wenger has won all 11 of his home games vs Tony Pulis, including all 10 in the Premier League (one FA Cup game at Highbury in 2005).
- West Brom have lost more away Premier League games versus Arsenal (10) than against any other side.
- Each of Arsenal's last seven home wins in all competitions have come on a different day of the week, with Monday's victory completing the seven-day set.
- Gareth Barry made his 633rd appearance in the Premier League, setting a competition record in the process.
- Alexandre Lacazette scored Arsenal's 100th penalty goal in the Premier League – only Liverpool (112) and Chelsea (107) have scored more penalties in the competition than Arsenal.
- Tony Pulis became the eighth manager to take charge of 100 games for two different Premier League sides (West Brom and Stoke) – the other managers to achieve this are Sam Allardyce, Mark Hughes, Kevin Keegan, Roberto Martinez, David O'Leary, Martin O'Neill and Harry Redknapp.

ARSENAL 2 - 0 BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION

Monreal (16') Iwobi (56')

Arsenal team XI:
Cech, Holding, Mustafi, Monreal, Bellerin, Xhaka, Ramsey, Kolasinac, Iwobi, Sanchez, Lacazette.

Subs:
Ospina, Mertesacker, Wilshere, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Walcott, Giroud.

Key Opta stats:

• Arsenal have now won their last 11 games at the Emirates in all competitions, their second longest ever run at the ground (12 between May-November 2009).
  
• Brighton have never won an away match against Arsenal in all competitions, drawing once, losing six times and scoring just one goal.
  
• Arsene Wenger has now beaten 45 different clubs in the Premier League, more than any other manager in the competition.
  
• Alexis Sanchez has had a hand in 35 Premier League goals since the start of last season (24 goals, 11 assists), more than double any other Arsenal player in that time (Mesut Ozil, 17).
  
• Nacho Monreal scored his fourth goal for Arsenal in all competitions, with each coming at a different ground (Liberty Stadium, Old Trafford, Wembley and Emirates).
  
• The Gunners have kept four successive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since May 2014.
  
• Alexis Sanchez created twice as many chances (6) and had twice as many shots (8) than any other Arsenal player.
  
• Brighton have scored just one goal in their four Premier League away games so far this season.
  

WATFORD 2 - 1 ARSENAL

P. Mertesacker (39)
T. Deeney (71 pen)
T. Cleverley (90+2)

PLUCKY HORNETS RALLY TO STING GUNNERS WITH LATE WINNER

Watford handed Arsenal a first defeat in eight matches as Marco Silva's men recovered from a one-goal deficit to snatch a dramatic 2-1 triumph at Vicarage Road.

Key Opta stats:

• Watford have 15 points already this season, their best tally after eight top-flight games since 1982-83, when they managed 16 points under Graham Taylor.
  
• Per Mertesacker scored his first Premier League goal in 1400 days, since netting v Manchester City in December 2013.
  
• Cleverley's goal was his first in a league game for Watford since March 2010, when he netted against Sheffield Wednesday in the second-tier.
  
• 90 - Arsenal have lost to a 90+ minute winner in the Premier League for the first time since January 2012 (Bobby Zamora for Fulham).
  
• 12 - Petr Cech has failed to save any of the 12 penalties he has faced with Arsenal in all competitions.
  

ARSENAL thrashed Koeman's poor EVERTON!!!

Key Opta facts:

• Arsenal have beaten Everton more times than any other club has beaten another in English Football League history (95 wins).
  
• Arsene Wenger has now beaten Everton 31 times in all competitions as Arsenal manager – more than he has against any other side during his tenure at the club.
  
• Arsenal have now scored 100 Premier League goals against Everton – the first instance of a club scoring a century against a single opponent in the competition.
  
• This is the 20th instance of a manager winning a Premier League game on his birthday and the third time that Wenger has done this (2005, 2006 and 2017) – more often than any other manager.
  
• This is Everton's worst points tally (8) after nine games of a Premier League season since 2005-06 (4) – they ended that campaign in 11th place.