Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has admitted that his side lacked the cutting edge to get anything from their Premier League clash with Arsenal this afternoon.

The Cherries had more possession and more shots than their opponents, but failed to find a way through as two goals in less than 90 first-half seconds saw Arsenal run out 2-0 winners.

Howe was pleased with his side's performance in the second half, but acknowledged that they did not ask enough questions of Petr Cech in the visiting goal.

"We were slow out the blocks today, which is unlike us. If you give a team like Arsenal time on the ball they will punish you," Howe told BBC Sport.

"We were much-improved in the second half without getting that goal to put them under pressure. We kept going, kept fighting, and if we had got that goal back with say 20 minutes to go, it would have made for an interesting finish.

"We got into some really good positions without the cutting edge we have had in recent weeks."

The defeat was just Bournemouth's third in their last 13 Premier League outings.