Arsenal face another simple enough home tie on paper as they play host to relegation candidates Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
After demolishing Everton 4-0 on Wednesday night, Mikel Arteta’s side extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points, and will know if they can extend that further by the time that they kick off against the Cherries, with Manchester City playing host to Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime.
The Gunners boss has hinted that rotation may be in order, and the introduction of Emile Smith Rowe from the substitutes bench in midweek has further strengthened his potential options beyond just the starting XI, something which the impending return of Gabriel Jesus will only help.
With the title race now well and truly on, here’s how we expect the Emirates side to line up and the latest team news coming out of north London.
📰 Table Of Contents
Predicted XI
Team News
Thomas Partey is in line to start his first game since limping off against Everton a month ago, with the Ghanaian midfielder coming on at half time to replace Jorginho, and set to regain his first team spot against the Cherries.
One surprise, however, could be the inclusion of Fabio Vieira, who replaced Granit Xhaka for the final half hour of the emphatic win over the Toffees on Wednesday night.
“And they have that way of looking at each other and understanding what’s going to have.”
The Spaniard then added that ‘for sure’ Vieira would begin to play more often, having so far been restricted largely to cameos from the bench in the Premier League. Against a Bournemouth side with the worst defensive record in the top flight, it could be the perfect opportunity to introduce him.
