Match Day Thread AFC Bournemouth vs Arsenal - Matchday Thread

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Vitality Stadium
Sunday 25th November
KO: 13:30pm

Overall Record:
All: 7
Won: 5
Drawn: 1
Lost: 1

Last 6 meetings:
AFC Bournemouth 2-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 3-0 AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth 3-3 Arsenal
Arsenal 3-1 AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 AFC Bournemouth

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Team News:

More to follow..

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This one might prove to be a bit of a banana skin

 

We've got a decent record against Bournemouth, but we've had a few indifferent results recently.
We really need to win this one to keep our top 4 aspirations on track.

 

Our overall record against Bournemouth is good, but the last two results there haven't been great.

The 3-3 draw and the 2-1 loss.

To be 3-0 down in the first place was quite embarrassing and whilst we did well to salvage a draw, they were ripping through our defence repeatedly.

The 2-1 loss was bizarre. We were the better side up until we scored. Then, for some reason, we went into a shell, let them come onto us and just capitulated out of nowhere. Their equaliser was absolutely shocking defending on our part. You'd get yelled at for defending like that in a Sunday league side, let alone at the top level.

I'd like to think we have enough firepower and quality to win this one, but Bournemouth are perfectly capable of pulling off an upset.

 

Had we beaten Palace and Wolves, I'd have said that I wouldn't be upset with a point here.

But having drawn the last 3 matches, a win here is an absolute must. Can't afford to be dropping more points with Spurs and United right around the corner. Not when the race for top 4 is this tightly contested. Will be a tough ask against a team with such a strong home record, but we need to find a way of getting all 3 points.

 

Need the 3pts here.

 

Wasn't expecting Spurs to dispatch Chelsea so comfortably yesterday. Meaning we really need to win today. Chelsea have gone from being title contenders to top 4 contenders in the space of a few weeks. Which just goes to show you the season is still in its early days.

However, I don't want to be losing anymore ground. Especially with how strong our neighbours are looking right now.

If we win today and can beat Spurs next week, we'll be level on points with them. The main thing for us is to stay within touching distance of the top 4 and not let anyone pull away from us.

It looks like the top 2 positions will be contested between City and Liverpool. So 4 teams will be competing for 3rd and 4th.

 

Today is a must win really in terms of keeping in touch with the top 4 and maintaining the confidence in the squad. We've had too many draws recently and lost a bit of momentum. Emery needs to get the players really fired up for this one.

Spurs next week is going to be a big test for us. We came through the Liverpool game and I expect there will be a similar atmosphere for that one. If we can beat them, it will really fire us up for the rest of the season too.

 

Arsenal's Starting XI:

Leno, Bellerin, Sokratis, Müstafi, Holding, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Torreira, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang

Subs:

Cech, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil, Guendouzi, Nketiah

Playing 3 at the back? Wasn't expecting that. No Lacazette in the squad is a worry. Hope it's nothing too serious as we'll need him vs Spurs next week.

 

Apart from Ozil and partly Guendouzi that is such a ****e bench. Can't wait for Emery to get a few transfer windows under his belt to slowly fix this ****show of a squad.

 

Well they did say he had a small injury last week- hence why he pulled out of the France squad. Kinda glad to see Auba up front again though.

Not sure about this whole back three business.

 

I largely agree, but I'm interested to see how Nketiah does if he gets an opportunity and he may well do in Welbeck's absence. He's been tearing up the U23s. Obviously there's a big gap between the U23s and first team football, but he deserves a chance to prove what he's made of.

 

Lacazette was in training yesterday, but he has a minor groin problem. He wasn't included as a precaution apparently.

At least we get to see Auba in a central role which suits him a bit better IMO.

Not sure if this was the game to drop Ozil for, though. Bournemouth won't sit deep and defend to deny us space, they will come out at us, push high and attack. Ozil is the one player who would thrive in a game like this. Guess we just have to hope the other players will be able to create decent enough chances.

 

1-1. HT.

King equalises with literally the second to last kick of the half .

How the **** can we concede with less than 30 seconds to go until half-time?

Useless defending. And we were actually ending that half the better side as well.

Emery seriously needs to focus on the defence a lot more because we do not manage situations well at all.

Yet again, another game we are going into the second half not leading. It's pathetic.

 

Entertaining 1st half. We got lucky with the offside goal and the own goal. But I thought we were good value for our lead until that abomination where we conceded. Why didn't we try and tackle any of them and where the **** was Kolasinac tracking back ?

 

Need to see much more from Iwobi in the 2nd half

Also Mhkitaryan has been woeful. Sub him for Ozil please.

 

Get that clown Mkhitaryan off and bring Ozil on this game is made for him.

 

Mustafi has to be brain dead it's the only explanation.

 

Why does he always feel the need to make a sliding challenge when there's no trouble?

Luckily we got away with it.

 

That was too close