🕟 Kick Off: 17:30 BST

📍 Location: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Dorset

📺 UK Broadcaster: Sky Sports

🙎🏻‍♂️ Referee: Robert Jones

🔴 Arsenal Team News:

• Ben White and Jurrien Timber missed the Southampton game and their condition remains unknown.
• Havertz skipped international duty with minor issues but should be fit to face Bournemouth.
• Saka left the England camp early with a thigh injury but there is optimism he will be fit for the match.
• Martinelli picked up a calf injury on international duty for which he had an MRI scan which revealed muscular damage. He will likely miss this game.
• It is rumoured that Tomiyasu has picked up a fresh injury following his previous injury which he was recovering from. Will likely miss this game.
• Neto is unable to face his parent club.
• Ødegaard (ankle), Zinchenko (calf), and Tierney (thigh) remain absent with longer term injuries.

⚽ Arsenal Form: 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟧

🍒 Bournemouth Team News:

• Tyler Adams is on the verge of a return following a back injury which has kept him out of action since the summer.

⚽ Bournemouth Form: 🟥🟩🟥🟥🟩

⚔️ Head-to-Head:

• Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth (4 May 2024, Premier League)
• Bournemouth 0-4 Arsenal (30 September 2023, Premier League)
• Arsenal 3-2 Bournemouth (4 March 2023, Premier League)
• Bournemouth 0-3 Arsenal (20 August 2022, Premier League)
• Bournemouth 1-2 Arsenal (27 January 2020, FA Cup)

📖 Match Facts:

• Arsenal remain unbeaten this season across all competitions. Securing a victory at Bournemouth could see them temporarily sit at the top of the Premier League.
• Historically, Arsenal has dominated Bournemouth, winning 14 of their last 17 encounters.
• A win for Arsenal would be their 2000th top flight win, a feat only matched by Liverpool.
• Bournemouth have outshot Arsenal so far this season, but struggle to convert shots into goals.

🎲 Odds (Betway):

• Bournemouth – 7/2
• Draw – 3/1
• Arsenal – 7/10

✍🏼 Pre-Match Ramblings

Football is back after another thrilling international break! I’m sure you can’t wait for the next one, and you don’t have to wait long as the next one starts on the 11th of November, that’s only 24 days! In all seriousness, the international schedule so far this season has been nothing short of a joke. It has taken our captain away from us for an extended period of time, and now threatens the fitness of Martinelli and Saka.

Our form against Bournemouth makes for some happy reading, they are a team that hasn’t troubled us majorly as of late (especially in the league), apart from the 3-2 game at home which required a sensational late goal from Reiss Nelson to secure the three points after a comeback from 0-2.

As stated above, given the schedule of the weekend, a win would take us to the top of the table. With Liverpool facing a resurgent Chelsea team on Sunday, there is a chance we can end the weekend tied on points with City, with a high scoring game for us potentially seeing us stay at the top.

Mikel Merino could see his first start in an Arsenal shirt, with the Spaniard featuring for Spain in the international break following a few appearances off the bench for Arsenal before the break. One to watch is where this places Declan Rice. Mikel Merino was heralded to take that left 8 position in which Rice has been playing this season. In my opinion, Rice operates best as a number 6, tidying up loose balls and stopping counter attacks. His positional awareness is second to none in this squad, and this ability is best suited to a deep lying defensive midfielder.