Arsenal 1-0 Bournemouth highlights, report & stats: David Luiz scores first Gunners goal and helps keep rare clean sheet at the Emirates

The Gunners have a good recent record against their south-coast opponents and looked on course for another comfortable win when Luiz headed home with only nine minutes gone.

But that proved to be the only goal of a contest which lacked both chances and quality as the Cherries managed to keep in-form Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the periphery.

While the win may have not been emphatic, it means Arsenal have still lost just once this season and they now sit just one point behind reigning champions Manchester City.

Aubameyang, crucial to Arsenal so far this season, was kept quiet and the players selected to offer support - 18-year-old Bukayo Saka and club-record signing Nicolas Pepe - also drifted in and out of the game.

In fact, it was more of an afternoon for the Arsenal defence to celebrate as they registered just a second Premier League clean sheet from their last 13 outings.

For Eddie Howe, his Bournemouth side could have drawn level on points with fourth-placed Leicester with a win at the Emirates Stadium but they lacked a cutting edge in attack despite some good moments early in the second half.

Unsurprisingly, it was Aubameyang who almost opened the scoring with less than six minutes on the clock but the 30-year-old could only bend a curling effort wide of Aaron Ramsdale's post.

What was more of a surprise was the identity of the man who did put Arsenal in front soon after, Luiz heading in his first goal for the club as he glanced home Nicolas Pepe's corner.

Pepe came close to doubling the Arsenal lead but he saw a bending strike go the wrong side of the post, before the Ivory Coast international saw a penalty claim turned down by official Martin Atkinson and the video assistant referee after going doing under a challenge from Diego Rico.

Emery turned to youngsters Gabriel Martinelli and Joe Willock to add some much-needed impetus into his attack but it was Luiz's maiden goal following his summer move from Chelsea that would ultimately settle the game.

Arsenal 1-0 Bournemouth Opta stats

• Arsenal have won all six of their home matches in all competitions against Bournemouth – only against Gainsborough Trinity (eight wins out of eight) do they have a better 100%-home win ratio in their entire history.
• Bournemouth have lost 13 of their last 14 away Premier League games against the ‘big six’ teams (W1 D0 L13).
• Arsenal have won 17 home Premier League games under Unai Emery – since the start of last season, only Liverpool (21) and Man City (20) have won more.
• Only against Man City (9) have Bournemouth lost more Premier League games than against Arsenal (7).
• Arsenal have won 14 of their last 17 home matches in all competitions (W14 D2 L1), with this their first 1-0 win in this sequence.
• Bournemouth have won none of their last 25 Premier League matches when conceding first (W0 D5 L20).
• 10 of David Luiz’s 12 Premier League goals have been scored in home matches, with this his first goal for Arsenal.
• Nicolas Pépé has been involved in 28 goals in his last 30 home league matches for Lille and Arsenal (16 goals, 12 assists).

Follow Sporting Life on social media - find us on Facebook here or tweet@SportingLifeFC

Related football links

• WATCH: Premier League MD8 highlights
• Rodgers upset with Mane pen
• Watch all the Championship goals
• Lloris out with elbow injury
• Pochettino calls for Spurs unity
• Premier League - As it happened
• Watch: PL Goal of the Month September nominees
• Lampard tips Abraham for England success
• Southgate warns Premier League stars
• Pope eyes England number one spot
• Listen: Premier League podcast
• Man Utd revival: Five point plan
• Premier League weekly: Man Utd special
• Denis Irwin: My Manchester United
• My Football Life: James Coppinger
• Super 6: Enter NOW!
• Fantasy Football: Pick your team now!
• Football results