On October 27, 1987, when Arsenal and Bournemouth played one another for the first time competitively, in the third round of the League Cup, George Graham’s side was in the rudest of health.
They were in the middle of a 10-match winning run in the league that took them to the top of the First Division, while the 14 consecutive victories between September 12 and November 17 would set a new club record at the time.
Bournemouth, managed by Harry Redknapp, had just gained promotion to the Second Division for the first time in their history and more than held their own, finishing in 17th position. A crowd of 26,050 turned up at Highbury to witness the cup clash, and saw us run out 3-0 winners.
Anfield ’89 hero Mickey Thomas – then still playing in his original position as a flying right-back – scored the opener from the penalty spot, following a handball from the Cherries’ Sean O’Driscoll. Our second came from an inswinging corner, and Alan Smith hammered the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
The final goal by new signing Kevin Richardson was blasted in from the edge of the box by the former Everton and Watford man, after a mix-up in the Bournemouth defence.
We reached the League Cup final that season, but we failed to retain the trophy we’d lifted 12 months previously after beating Liverpool at Wembley, losing 3-2 to Luton Town.
28 years would pass until we met again, but this time it came in the Premier League in the final days of 2015. Like our previous meeting, a vibrant Cherries side were on a high of a promotion, having climbed into the top-flight for the first time under Eddie Howe. Unlike the cup clash, we went into the match on a much lower ebb, having been thrashed 4-0 by Southampton on Boxing Day.
However, on home soil we were always in control of proceedings after defender Gabriel Paulista punished slack marking from a 28th-minute Mesut Ozil corner to score his first Gunners goal since arriving earlier in the year. Arsene Wenger later described Ozil “as the song leader with the right tone,” and it was the German forward who added a second goal.
His 63rd-minute strike was superb. Ozil played a couple of one-twos on his way into the area, the second of which was with Olivier Giroud and the French striker’s return flick took out three defenders. Without breaking stride, Ozil controlled the ball with one touch, opened up his body and shot low past goalkeeper Artur Boruc.
The victory took us back to the summit of the Premier League, and the team seemed set fair for a tilt at the title, but they finished runners-up to unexpected champions Leicester City.
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