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25 min: A free kick out on the Bournemouth left. Cook floats a long diagonal into the box. Kiwior clears. As of yet, neither keeper has had anything to do.
23 min: Cook launches long down the right towards Tavernier, who runs into Lewis-Skelley, who had stopped his chase back. The Bournemouth man claims deliberate obstruction, and wants a free kick in a dangerous position, but he’s not getting one. Play goes on.
21 min: In the technical area, Mikel Arteta is jumping around, barking orders and pointing quite a lot. This isn’t breaking news, is it.
20 min: Arsenal are dominant now. Rice dribbles hard down the left touchline and nearly gets the better of Araujo but eventually runs out of road. Goal kick.
19 min: Saka dinks a pass down the right for White, who digs out a chip to the far post. Rice races in, hoping to head home from close range, but Zabarnyi, facing his own goal, manages to flick out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece, Rice slapping it straight into the side netting.
18 min: Kiwior launches long down the inside-left channel. Martinelli is ahead of the last man, and nearly gets on the end of the pass, but Kepa comes out of his box to head clear. Arsenal are beginning to hit their straps.
16 min: Martinelli burns his way past Araujo down the left, winning a footrace with ease. He cuts back for Rice, who opens his body on the edge of the box before slicing another shot wide right. Again, a fine move.
15 min: Odegaard, in a central position, finds Martinelli down the left channel. Martinelli shuttles the ball further down the flank instantly, springing Rice into the box. Rice swipes a shot across Kepa and harmlessly wide right. But that was a slick move by Arsenal.
13 min: Kluivert finds Araujo down the right. Araujo crosses long, forcing White to turn behind for a corner at the far stick. Tavernier hits it long, and Huijsen tries to keep the ball in play on the other flank, but only manages to gift the ball to Martinelli, who starts a counter attack. Trossard nearly releases Rice through the middle, but Zabarnyi is on point to intercept.
11 min: Space for Partey in a central pocket, 25 yards out. He’s urged by the fans to shoot, but tries to find Trossard ahead of him instead. Bad choice, as his pass clanks into the nearest defender.
9 min: Kerkez comes snapping in on Saka and nearly sets an attack off down the left. Arsenal appear slightly agitated by Bournemouth’s eager press during these early exchanges.
7 min: Kiwior faffs around with the ball at his feet, allowing Evanilson to nip in from behind and take it off his toe. The defender’s fortunate that the referee has spotted a Bournemouth infringement earlier in the passage of play.
6 min: Some more Bournemouth possession. The home support pipe up in the hope of snapping their heroes into focus. All a bit flat.
4 min: Martinelli is skittled by Araujo down the left. Odegaard swings the free kick into the mixer, but fails to beat the first man Araujo, who makes good by heading clear.
3 min: The returning Partey’s first touch is a rusty one, a gift for Adams in the middle of the park. Tavernier tries to release Kluivert down the inside-right channel but the pass is no good. Arsenal are not yet awake, and are slightly fortunate Bournemouth haven’t found the final ball. They’ve already had two half-decent opportunities.
2 min: Huijsen spreads a pass wide left for Ouattara, who gets the better of White too easily, one touch taking him clear. But his cross is straight into the arms of Raya.
Bournemouth get the ball rolling. Zabarnyi goes long down the right, looking for Tavernier. Too long. Goal kick.
The teams are out! Arsenal in their famous red shirts with white sleeves, Bournemouth in a third kit which [MBM reporter squints, adjusts pince-nez] “draws its inspiration from our seaside roots, finished in deep lagoon green with an aquatic themed design on the front featuring subtle seashells and waves.” We’ll kick off after a verse or two of North London Forever.
A reminder of what happened between these teams last time round. Arsenal beware, because only Fulham, with 20 points from 11 games, have taken more points against the top-six teams this season than Bournemouth’s 15 from ten. (The new champions Liverpool have taken 15 from eight, to put this achievement into some sort of perspective.)
Mikel Arteta speaks to Sky. “[Timber and Merino] are both unable to start the game … Jurriën out … let’s see how he evolves … the rest OK … we still have a lot to do in the Premier League … we have been working many months to be in the position we are … we cannot win it so be the best of the rest … we face [intense teams like Bournemouth] a lot of times in the Premier League … they can cause you problems but we are the same … they have been consistent … clear in their intentions … very impressive.”
Andoni Iraola talks to Sky Sports. “It’s true that now every result is important but when you play Arsenal away you forget about the standings … the game is going to be so difficult that you just have to focus … try to give them a good game … be able to get a result … it is a bad thing that we face their best XI … but it’s also a good thing because it means they respect you … they have to go all-in to get a result … we competed very well against Manchester United and hopefully we can do it against Arsenal too.”
Arsenal have put out a strong team this evening. Their opponents in Paris this coming Wednesday? Not so much. Of the 11 PSG players who started the first leg, only one has kept his shirt for today’s Ligue 1 match at Strasbourg: Joao Neves. Bradley Barcola and Warren Zaire Emery, subs at the Emirates with 21 minutes between them, both get a run-out, while Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue are on the bench. PSG are 2-0 down at the break, but with the league title long in the bag, and a first European crown within touching distance, they’re unlikely to be too fussed. You can keep tabs on that score in our match centre.
Jurriën Timber is indeed injured, but his omission today sounds precautionary rather than something more serious. Here’s the latest, hot off the press, courtesy of our man at the Emirates, David Hytner.
Jurrien Timber is nursing a minor knock – the one that forced him off in the first-leg of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday – and so Mikel Arteta has left him of the squad for today’s visit of Bournemouth. In comes Ben White. But the Arsenal manager has made only one other change: Thomas Partey in, Mikel Merino down to the bench. Partey missed out against PSG because of suspension and he was missed. Arteta is plainly in the mood to ignite some momentum ahead of Wednesday’s second-leg in Paris.
Arsenal name a strong team, making just two changes to the starting XI after the 1-0 home loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Ben White and Thomas Partey are back, with Mikel Merino dropping to the bench, and Jurriën Timber missing out altogether. No word yet on why Timber is absent, but he was withdrawn as a precautionary measure towards the end of that Champions League semi-final after picking up a knock, so let’s see.
Bournemouth make three changes to their starting side after the 1-1 draw with Manchester United. Lewis Cook, Marcus Tavernier and Julián Araujo are in, with Alex Scott, Adam Smith and Antoine Semenyo dropping to the bench.
The teams
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Partey, Rice, Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
Subs: Setford, Tierney, Zinchenko, Merino, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji, Gower, Nwaneri, Clarke.
Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga, Araujo, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez, Cook, Adams, Tavernier, Kluivert, Ouattara, Evanilson.
Subs: Dennis, Senesi, Brooks, Scott, Smith, Soler, Jebbison, Hill, Semenyo.
Referee: Jarred Gillett (Australia).
Preamble
Arsenal have bigger fish to fry, with the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with PSG coming up next week. Then again, while the Premier League title might be done and dusted, it wouldn’t be the greatest look to somehow end up third or fourth in a two-horse race. And Bournemouth still have their sights set on European football next season, as well as the completion of their very first league double over the Gunners, having won 2-0 at Dean Court last October. So this isn’t without jeopardy. Could be a cracker. Kick-off is at 5.30pm BST. It’s on!
