Key events
Today’s match officials
-
Referee: Michael Oliver.
-
Assistants: Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring.
-
Fourth official: Gavin Ward.
-
VAR: Darren England.
-
Assistant VAR: Wade Smith.
Mikel Arteta and Andoni Areola: Today’s head coaches have been frends since they were nine years old, having grown up just a few miles apart in San Sebastian and played for the same amateur youth team, Antiguoko, alongside a young whippersnapper named Xabi Alonso. Arteta has described Iraola as the most talented player in the team. “I think he was better technically than everybody else,” he said. “He would be a dream for any manager.” He could prove a nightmare for Arsenal’s manager today.
Ed Aarons
Mikel Arteta: “Embrace the opportunity”
Mikel Arteta believes winning the Premier League this season would mean more given that Arsenal have waited 22 years to be champions and said his players “will put everything on the table” to make the final step. Arsenal sent an email to season-ticket holders this week asking them to arrive early for the 12.30pm kick-off, and Arteta has urged fans to “have an early breakfast, bring your lunch”.
Arsenal’s manager said that after three successive runners-up finishes, this had to be their moment. “Embrace the opportunity, the difficulty. I think the outcome when we reach that is going to be totally different to any other club. You’re there in clubs and you go there as a manager and they won it the year before or two years before; you win it, it’s fine. [It happens] a lot in Europe.
“But this one is a very particular one – in the Premier League because it’s been 22 years and the Champions League has never been done before. So that has to fill you with enthusiasm, energy and there’s the possibility and the probability that it’s very big to do it. So put everything on the table because that’s the moment to do it.”
Arsenal v Bournemouth line-ups
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz, Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Hincapie, Jesus, Eze, Norgaard, Trossard, Dowman, Salmon.
Bournemouth: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Truffert, Senesi, Scott, Christie, Rayan, Tavernier, Kroupi Jr, Evanilson.
Subs: Mandas, Adams, Brooks, Gannon-Doak, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Unal, Toth.
Myles Lewis-Skelly starts for Arsenal
The 19-year-old makes only his second Premier League start of the season, coming in at left-back in place of Riccardo Calafiori. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are in for Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard in Mikel Arteta’s two other changes. Odegaard is not in the matchday squad. For Bournemouth, Eli Junior Kroupi replaces Amine Adli in Andoni Iraola’s only change.
Early team news
Mikel Arteta was coy on the the fitness concerns surrounding his squad during his pre-match press conference but said “there will be changes” to the team that started against Sporting. He did assure reporters that Eberechi Eze is available for selection. “The will that he’s shown from day one to get back as quick as possible, how he’s pushed the medical staff and himself to be there, it’s just great to watch,” he said.
Mikel Merino remains sidelined, while there are doubts over the fitness of Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard and Piero Hincapie for today’s game. “I don’t know,” Arteta said upon being asked who would be be able to play. “Some of them.”
For Bournemouth, Justin Kluivert and Lewis Cook are definitely out, while Andoni Iraola said Junior Kroupi and Alex Jimenez “are fully recovered and ready to go” after recovering from niggles they picked up on international duty.
Iraola said Kluivert is recovering well after knee surgery and is eager to return to action as soon as possible in a bid to keep his hopes of playing for the Netherlands at the World Cup alive. “He’s doing really well but we cannot do stupid things,” said Iraola. “We have to give the time that everybody needs.”
Premier League: Arsenal v Bournemouth
To the Emirates, where a win for league leaders Arsenal will move them 12 points clear of Manchester City for a day at least, albeit having played two games more and with a mouthwatering clash between the two sides slated for next weekend. Today’s match against Bournemouth is Arsenal’s first League match in almost a month and they come into it on the back of a creditable but workmanlike away win against Sporting in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League.
The stalemate specialists from the south coast arrive at the Emirates on the back of five consecutive top flight draws (out of 15 so far this season), the most recent coming against Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium. In 13th place, with their head coach’s future clouded with uncertainty, Bournemouth remain in contention for European qualification, despite their mid-table position. Kick-off at the Emirates is at 12.30pm (BST) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.