After winning the previous three Premier League matches by one-goal margins, a statement performance against the in-form top flight side was a significant morale booster heading into the new year.
Putting Unai Emery’s side to the sword dispelled some doubts over Arsenal’s title credentials, momentarily stunted the upwards trajectory of Aston Villa, and demonstrated the reestablished squad depth in abundance given that several players had overcome injuries.
They ended Aston Villa’s unbeaten run, which stretched back to the beginning of November, in a second half rout without one of their midfield talismans Declan Rice.
The England international is still a doubt for the Bournemouth clash with Mikel Arteta saying he will be assessed from Friday afternoon’s training session.
Gabriel was able to start after recovering successfully from a hamstring injury he picked up with Brazil during the international break in November.
The centre-back made an immediate impact in both boxes, scoring from a set-piece to open the floodgates. He appeared to exit proceedings in discomfort when substituted, however, Arsenal fans can breathe a sigh of relief since replacing Gabriel was confirmed to be a precautionary measure.
Nonetheless, Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera will be out of contention as both are nursing injuries.
The Arsenal camp may be thinking they are facing Bournemouth at an opportune time, but the Cherries will surely be desperate for a victory, which they have failed to achieve since beating Nottingham Forest at the end of October.
More recently, Bournemouth held Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to a 2-2 draw, courtesy of two goals coming from Antoine Semenyo’s long throws, which caused chaos.
Semenyo remains available for selection against Arsenal. Perhaps, postponing the deal was a strategic move by his suitors Manchester City, who are expected to finalise Semenyo’s signature this month.
Last season’s kryptonite that dented Arsenal’s title ambitions
Casting their minds back to meetings last term with Andoni Iraola’s side, Arsenal players will not have the fondest of memories.
In this fixture last season, William Saliba was initially given a yellow card for tugging Evanilson back as the last man. However, the referee promptly overruled his decision, brandishing a straight-red card for the Frenchman with half an hour played.
Arsenal went on to squander some big chances to go ahead and paid the price, eventually conceding from a corner and a penalty.
Liverpool had already secured their 20th league title by the time Arsenal’s reverse fixture against Bournemouth in May rolled around.
Nevertheless, they were playing for pride and to secure their second place finish as Manchester City muscled their way into the top three.
The Gunners slumped to a 2-1 loss at home in the contest sandwiched between the Champions League semi-final matches when they collided with eventual champions PSG.
Bournemouth sealed their first-ever three points at Arsenal, once more by virtue of two set-pieces to come back from Arsenal’s lead provided by Rice.
Two narrow losses this season have only come against Liverpool and Aston Villa, while Arteta’s men have crucially minimised the amount of draws, learning the lessons of how dropped points can stack up even when sharing the spoils.
Bournemouth may be struggling to get themselves a valuable win, but they have been competing well in recent affairs.
There should be little signs of complacency, especially with Semenyo remaining in Bournemouth colours for the time being, and the fact that Arsenal almost stumbled against rock-bottom Wolves in December.
Putting games to bed when they are there for the taking
Arsenal ran rampant once Gabriel’s inadvertent touch found the back of the net to put the hosts ahead whilst he challenged Emiliano Martinez.
From there, The Gunners swept aside the visitors by scoring three more goals, affording Aston Villa no respite and ensuring they cruised swiftly out of sight.
This eased the tension in the second half, and Arteta’s men continued to take risks and remain confident in their counter pressing.
When hosting Brighton, they secured a two-goal advantage, but endured a nervy finish when Diego Gomez halved the deficit and David Raya had to pull off a stunning stop to get Arsenal over the line.
The handbrake analogy which surfed across the media earlier this season has largely been extinguished as of late, but this was relevant and should not just be swept under the carpet.
The display at Aston Villa encompassed what Arsenal should be striving for at their best with their squad and with their objectives to lift the title.
Following a lengthy layoff with injury which spanned the best part of a year, Jesus came on against Aston Villa and scored less than one minute after coming on, not just with an ordinary goal but with a superbly taken finish.
His fellow striker Viktor Gyokeres has by no means lived up to the prolific expectations surrounding his signing from Sporting Lisbon in the summer.
He adds something new to Arsenal’s front line, doggedly pressing and physically imposing himself, and the hallmarks of a well-rounded striker have been evident at times.
But, Jesus looks more like the new signing. He is yet to start in the league this season, yet his cameos suggest this could be the start of another selection dilemma for Arteta.
The Brazilian could even stake his claim for a World Cup spot if he continues to deliver.
Kai Havertz also took his place amongst the substitutes for the first time since the opening day. The German had also accompanied Jesus on the injury list for a considerable period, but both are now fit for selection.
Arsenal have shared their goals around this season, and boast an array of players who are more than capable of scoring in different ways.
Getting the selection right for the striker position between the three aforementioned players could prove crucial, but as Arteta has said on numerous occasions, his finishers, those that come off the bench, play an important role in the team to make an impact.