Arsenal beat Brentford 1-0 away in the League Cup and Bournemouth 4-0 away in the Premier League. As a result, Arsenal are through to the fourth round of the League Cup and now only one point off Manchester City in the Premier League. Without further ado, let’s dive deeper into these wins.

Arsenal 23-24 Matches 8-9: Arsenal Defended Pretty Well Against Brentford and Excellently Against Bournemouth

The Gunners kept clean sheets against both Brentford and Bournemouth. Brentford is certainly capable of scoring more than a few goals, but Arsenal held them to only four shots on target. Aaron Ramsdale returned in goal and made three saves, including one fantastic save. Ramsdale’s distribution was very good, too. Additionally, the defense did well against Brentford.

The backline of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jakub Kiwior, and Takehiro Tomiyasu held up well. Kiwior made one great block. Kiwior and Tomiyasu deserve more playing time.

Also, Arsenal’s defense was even better against Bournemouth. Bournemouth only managed a single shot on target in the entire game. David Raya made one save and distributed the ball very well. The backline of Zinchenko, White, Saliba, and Gabriel Magalhaes prevented Bournemouth from threatening Arsenal’s goal much at all.

Additionally, Arsenal’s midfield played well.

Arsenal 23-24 Matches 8-9: Arsenal’s Midfield Dominated Possession in Both Games

It is great to see the midfield perform well and Arsenal’s midfield did just that against Brentford and Bournemouth. Arsenal enjoyed 60% possession against Brentford, limiting what Brentford could do in attack. Additionally, the midfield trio of Jorginho, Kai Havertz, and Emile Smith-Rowe controlled the game for the most part against Brentford. Smith-Rowe nearly scored against both Brentford and Bournemouth.

In the game against Bournemouth, Arsenal had 58% possession. Martin Odegaard is seemingly back to his usual form now, with a goal and an assist against Bournemouth. Odegaard also won Arsenal’s second penalty. Odegaard created multiple chances. Martin Odegaard was the Man of the Match against Bournemouth.

Kai Havertz has received plenty of criticism, but he played well and scored Arsenal’s third goal against Bournemouth from the penalty spot. This should boost his confidence going forward.

Declan Rice continues to be excellent in Arsenal’s midfield. He broke up play, shielded the defense, and helped Arsenal dominate possession. Rice’s form is encouraging, especially with two significant games on the horizon.

Arsenal’s Attack Was Adequate Against Brentford and Overwhelming Against Bournemouth

In terms of the attack, the differences in the two performances were significant. The Gunners struggled offensively against Brentford, only managing one goal and three shots on target. Reiss Nelson scored Arsenal’s only goal of that game, but missed another chance. Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith-Rowe also missed chances against Brentford.

Arsenal’s attack is overwhelming at its best and it certainly overwhelmed Bournemouth. The Gunners scored four goals and had eight shots on target. Arsenal could have scored more, as well.

Bukayo Saka scored a good header as did Ben White. Saka was lively and dangerous in this game. Thankfully, his injury does not appear to be serious since he has already trained again.

Gabriel Jesus played well and nearly scored. Eddie Nketiah made an impact by winning Arsenal’s first penalty. Emile Smith-Rowe did well against Bournemouth and seems to be returning to full fitness now.

Manager Ratings: 7.5/10 Against Brentford and 9/10 Against Bournemouth

Mikel Arteta did a fairly good job against Brentford, but Arsenal did lose control of the game in the second half and were not clinical. The subs were good, though. He receives a 7.5/10 rating for the Brentford game.

Arteta did much better in the game against Bournemouth. Every part of the Arsenal team played well against Bournemouth and Arsenal was far more clinical. The substitutions also made an impact. Arteta receives a 9/10 rating for the Bournemouth game.

Arsenal Plays Lens Next Before Facing Manchester City

Arsenal’s Champions League campaign continues with a group-stage match against Lens in France. Arsenal is likely to rotate significantly in that match, given that the following match is against Manchester City. It is a good bet that Arsenal will still beat Lens, though. Hopefully, Arsenal will also beat Manchester City to reaffirm their title aspirations.

Check back next week for more Arsenal content.