Team Focus: Arter Return Sees Upturn in Results for Brave Bournemouth

Less than a month ago the general consensus was that Bournemouth were doomed. Too many injuries had mounted against the Cherries early on in the season and they simply weren’t getting the breaks.

A 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle having completely outplayed Steve McClaren’s men, firing off 20 shots to the Magpies’ 2, was taken as a sign by many that this just wasn’t to be Bournemouth’s season. The loss of top scorer Callum Wilson followed by those of the club’s most expensive transfers in Max Gradel and Tyrone Mings had seemingly left Eddie Howe lacking star quality.

Instead Bournemouth have had to look to a number of last season’s key players in their absence. Indeed, of the club’s 6 highest rated players this season only Gradel was not at the club during their Championship title winning campaign. It has meant that the players that earned Bournemouth a place in the top-flight for the first time in their history are being rewarded and now playing with real confidence.

Consecutive wins over Chelsea and Manchester United - becoming only the second Premier League side ever to beat those two sides back-to-back - have seen the Cherries jump from the relegation zone to 14th since their aforementioned defeat to Newcastle. In that time only Leicester (10) and fellow promoted side Watford (9) have picked up more points.

While naturally unable to maintain quite the same standards when it comes to Howe’s preferred passing approach following the step up to the Premier League, the manager has stuck to his guns when many were quick to suggest it naive. Bournemouth rank 9th in the top-flight for both possession (51.6%) and pass accuracy (79.5%). Moreover, only nine sides have had more shots on target, with the south coast outfit’s tally of 67 in excess of the two English football giants that they have just beaten.

One key man in the side’s recent resurgence has been Harry Arter, who was voted by the supporters as Bournemouth’s player of the year last season. That in a season in which Wilson scored 20 goals and Matt Ritchie had a direct hand in a whopping 32. It shows the regard in which the midfielder is held at the club, so his absence for the opening 10 games of the campaign with a hip injury was costly.

After suffering a personal tragedy in the week leading up to the game, Arter’s performance in the recent win over United was remarkable. He pulled the strings in midfield for the hosts en route to a highest WhoScored rating of the season (7.26), whilst breaking up play to ensure United’s game plan failed to bear fruit once again.

The 25-year old has added a strength and physicality to the one area of the side that looked weak in its new surroundings. His current average of 3.7 tackles per game is not only the highest at the club but more than the averages of midfield counterparts Gosling (2), Surman (0.9) and O’Kane (0.4) combined (3.3). It’s no coincidence that since Arter’s return to the side Bournemouth have averaged 19.8 tackles per game compared to 17.4 beforehand.

Up next against the Baggies, Arter will not only be expected to see plenty of the ball but he’ll also need to show the same fighting spirit against a physically imposing side. As a result, while unlikely to pick up big points often, the midfielder is a safe bet in Buabook’s match market this coming weekend, so buying shares below the £0.30 mark represents minimal risk.

Bournemouth are by no means out of the woods yet, but while they still face a tough run of matches one would expect them to be able to dictate the play as they like to in matches against the likes of West Brom, Palace and even table-toppers Leicester. Arter’s return has been key in their upturn in results and should he avoid another injury where so many first teamers have failed the Englishman will continue to be at the heart of the Cherries’ bid for survival.

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