Arsenal have a strong recent record against Bournemouth, but they dropped points when they faced them in Mikel Arteta’s first-ever game as a manager.
Arteta retired from football as Arsenal captain in 2016, before joining Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City.
The Spaniard spent a few valuable seasons learning from Guardiola before Arsenal convinced him to return to succeed Unai Emery, who was dismissed in November 2019 with the Gunners in crisis form.
Many questioned the appointment of Arteta, who was entering his first managerial role, and given the size of the task at hand, it was anticipated that it would take a while for him to make his mark on the team.
Arteta’s first game in charge came on Boxing Day 2019, as Arsenal travelled to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth, with the visitors hoping to end their poor form with a fresh start.
What happened in Bournemouth 1-1 Arsenal in Mikel Arteta’s first game
Arsenal started brightly, with Arteta selecting a more balanced team in a 4-2-3-1 than the randomised chaos of Emery’s lineups, but the visitors fell behind through a Dan Gosling goal which exposed their soft centre.
However, Arsenal continued to persevere under their new manager, and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang found the equaliser in the second half with a clever finish.
Arsenal could not find a winner, but there were promising signs in Arteta’s first game, as he got a first glance over the rebuild job at hand.
What Mikel Arteta said after his first game as Arsenal manager
Speaking after the game, in his first post-match interview as a manager, Arteta admitted that he wanted to win, but was proud of his team’s display.
“It was intense, I was so excited, I just wanted to pass that energy to the players and I really enjoyed it,” Arteta stated.
“I think we had the chances in the second half to put the game in our favour, but in general in terms of attitude, desire and commitment, it was better than expected, not happy.
“I did not know how long the players would last at that rhythm with the demands I made of them but the attitude was spot on.
“There are no negotiables at this club, there are standards that have to be done at this club and they held them today.”
Clearly, Arteta was expecting the body language of the team to continue to be poor, and the dressing room fractured, but already there were signs that the players were willing to buy into his ideas.
Nearly five years on, Arsenal face Bournemouth as title challengers, with a completely different team except for Bukayo Saka, and Arteta’s philosophy fully instilled in every level of the club.
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