Arsenal will play Portsmouth in FA Cup fifth round after Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah goals down Bournemouth

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Malik Ouzia @MalikOuzia_27 January 2020

Arsenal set up an FA Cup meeting with League One Portsmouth after reaching the fifth round with a 2-1 victory over their south coast neighbours Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Monday night.

First half strikes from Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah, the latter marking his first start since being recalled from a loan spell at Leeds United earlier this month, put the Gunners two up, and despite Sam Surridge’s stoppage time consolation, Mikel Arteta’s side extended their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions.

Mikel Arteta named a relatively strong line-up but left the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette on the bench, as Joe Willock and Nketiah came into a youthful front four as part of five changes to the side that had started the spirited 2-2 draw at Chelsea.

It took just five minutes for them to click, as a wonderful move involving every outfield player saw Willock turn smartly in midfield before feeding Gabriel Martinelli, who in turn teed-up an overlapping Saka to rifle beyond a helpless Mark Travers.

Given freedom in a roving number ten role, Willock was again the creator-in-chief for the second goal twenty minutes later, carving out wide to Saka, whose low cross was tucked home by a wide open Nketiah, the goal allowed to stand after the most unnecessary of VAR delays.

The Gunners were rampant, Bournemouth ragged, and Nicolas Pepe, the elder statesman of the forward quartet at 24, almost made it three when firing into the sidenetting after a wonderful piece of skill on the right touchline.

Nathan Ake was fighting a lone battle at times at the back for the hosts, and made a crucial block to deny Nketiah his second after Martinelli had breezed away from Steve Cook, before Harry Wilson finally gave Emiliano Martinez his first piece of work with a well-struck volley.

Arsenal’s defensive injury crisis worsened soon after the break as Shkodran Mustafi (below) was stretchered off having hurt his ankle in a collision with Martinez and Dominic Solanke. Rob Holding, himself only just back from injury, was sent on in his place, and with Calum Chambers already a long-term absentee, Arteta’s search for a centre-half may be cranked up a notch in terms of urgency.

Mustafi was stretchered off in the second half after landing awkwardly on his ankle Photo: AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images

Bournemouth had already shown marked improvement after the restart, and came within inches of halving the deficit when Simpson headed wide of a vacant goal after Martinez had come to try and claim a Wilson corner.

Arteta responded by sending on Dani Ceballos for his first appearance since November, amidst speculation that his loan spell may be cut short this week, while Howe turned to Callum Wilson, fresh from ending his three-and-a-half month goal drought.

Cook almost gifted Arsenal a third, poking a yard wide of his own goal under pressure from Nketiah, before Dan Gosling’s effort took a looping deflection and dropped just over Martinez’s crossbar.

Surridge did give the Cherries some hope, taking advantage of some lax defending in the fourth of eight added minutes, but the Gunners held on and will go to Fratton Park next month to play for a place in the quarter-finals.

Starting line-ups and the match referee


Bournemouth: Travers, Smith, Steve Cook, Ake, Simpson, Lewis Cook, Surman, Gosling, Harry Wilson, Solanke, Fraser.

Substitutes: Francis, Ramsdale, Callum Wilson, Billing, Surridge, Dobre, Genesini.


Arsenal: Martinez, Bellerin, Mustafi, Papastathopoulos, Saka, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Pepe, Willock, Martinelli, Nketiah.

Substitutes:Leno, Ceballos, Lacazette, Ozil, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Holding.


Referee: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire)

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