Its Christmas time and the holiday season for most of us around the world, and for those that follow Arsenal there is a small sense of renewed hope with Mikel Arteta at the helm. His first game in charge sees the Gunners travel to the south coast and take on Bournemouth. Just two games ago, our hosts brushed aside Chelsea to win at Stamford Bridge so much like most games this season, it won't be easy.
However, Arsenal do have the firepower...they just don't have a defensive resiliance. Not one that is good enough anyway. Yet, we have seen clips already of Arteta instilling his methods in training, which have seemingly gone down well with most but can we really see a change so quickly? A clean sheet last time out was half scuppered by a woeful performance going forward...Arteta now just needs to find that balance and get it going, launching the free flowing football we saw him play as captain of Arsenal Football Club.
With injuries and suspensions still playing a major part on availability, Arteta has some decisions to make for this game. There are fitness assessments on Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding in defence whilst the impressive Calum Chambers misses out through suspension. Sead Kolasinac and Kieran Tierney both remain out through injury. In midfield, Mesut Ozil is available again whilst Dani Ceballos has returned to full training so could see some minutes late on. Further forward, there are question marks over Gabriel Martinelli's availability due to a tight left hamstring. It is unlikely he will be risked from the start with so many other options available.
Bournemouth come into this one with some real selection problems. Last season's talisman and best player David Brooks is still yet to feature this season whilst in defence its a real head ache for Eddie Howe. Nathan Ake, Charlie Daniels, Lloyd Kelly and Adam Smith are all injured whilst left back Sergio Rico is unavailable through suspension. However, much of this available squad featured against the in form Chelsea earlier this month and dug in for a well earned victory so whatever team Eddie Howe puts out will be up for a fight.
The Cherries have won just one of the last ten meetings with Arsenal, almost two years ago, but ten is the magic number for the Gunners too, who start a Boxing Day game in the bottom ten for the first time since 1983. But its now Arteta's Arsenal and its time for the big players, the characters and the leaders to turn up, put a shift in and make it count. Arsenal need a win (again) and nothing else is acceptable.
Expected line up:
GK: Bernd Leno
RB: Hector Bellerin
CB: Sokratis
CB: David Luiz
LB: Ainsley Maitland-Niles
CM: Granit Xhaka
CM: Lucas Torreira
CAM: Mesut Ozil
RW: Nicolas Pepe
ST: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
LW: Reiss Nelson
Prediction: a nervy 2-1 win for Arsenal
@craigbennett10
However, Arsenal do have the firepower...they just don't have a defensive resiliance. Not one that is good enough anyway. Yet, we have seen clips already of Arteta instilling his methods in training, which have seemingly gone down well with most but can we really see a change so quickly? A clean sheet last time out was half scuppered by a woeful performance going forward...Arteta now just needs to find that balance and get it going, launching the free flowing football we saw him play as captain of Arsenal Football Club.
With injuries and suspensions still playing a major part on availability, Arteta has some decisions to make for this game. There are fitness assessments on Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding in defence whilst the impressive Calum Chambers misses out through suspension. Sead Kolasinac and Kieran Tierney both remain out through injury. In midfield, Mesut Ozil is available again whilst Dani Ceballos has returned to full training so could see some minutes late on. Further forward, there are question marks over Gabriel Martinelli's availability due to a tight left hamstring. It is unlikely he will be risked from the start with so many other options available.
Bournemouth come into this one with some real selection problems. Last season's talisman and best player David Brooks is still yet to feature this season whilst in defence its a real head ache for Eddie Howe. Nathan Ake, Charlie Daniels, Lloyd Kelly and Adam Smith are all injured whilst left back Sergio Rico is unavailable through suspension. However, much of this available squad featured against the in form Chelsea earlier this month and dug in for a well earned victory so whatever team Eddie Howe puts out will be up for a fight.
The Cherries have won just one of the last ten meetings with Arsenal, almost two years ago, but ten is the magic number for the Gunners too, who start a Boxing Day game in the bottom ten for the first time since 1983. But its now Arteta's Arsenal and its time for the big players, the characters and the leaders to turn up, put a shift in and make it count. Arsenal need a win (again) and nothing else is acceptable.
Expected line up:
GK: Bernd Leno
RB: Hector Bellerin
CB: Sokratis
CB: David Luiz
LB: Ainsley Maitland-Niles
CM: Granit Xhaka
CM: Lucas Torreira
CAM: Mesut Ozil
RW: Nicolas Pepe
ST: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
LW: Reiss Nelson
Prediction: a nervy 2-1 win for Arsenal
@craigbennett10
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