The Gunners travel to the South Coast off the back of a 3-1 victory over Southampton after going 1-0 down early on in the second half, before goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli secured the victory.
At present, Liverpool lead the way so far, but Arteta and his players sit just a point off Arne Slot’s side - hoping to close that gap with all three points at the Vitality tonight.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Before the recent international break, the Gunners achieved a run of four wins in a row, helping them maintain their title push whilst also allowing them to progress into the next round of various cup competitions.
It remains to be seen whether the two-week break will have had an impact on the club’s excellent form, or even the fitness levels of some of the first-team members.
Arsenal injury update ahead of Bournemouth clash
Martin Odegaard and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both set to miss out on the clash on the South Coast as confirmed by Arteta in his pre-match press conference yesterday morning.
Winger Saka limped off on international duty for England, picking up a suspected muscle problem, and subsequently missing the second game of the recent break against Finland.
Saka-Palmer-Gordon-England-Alexander-Arnold-Bellingham
Arteta confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the attacker’s injury ‘is not serious’ whilst adding that he had further tests on Friday ahead of the return of club football.
Martinelli is another player who suffered a scare during the international period, nursing a calf issue - before landing back in the UK on Thursday afternoon.
However, it’s unclear whether he will be available for the clash - with Arteta stating it will be a last-minute decision if the Brazilian plays any part in the meeting.
As for Havertz, he missed the international break due to a knee problem and could play some part, but it’s unclear if the issue will restrict him to limited minutes or if he’s able to feature whatsoever - potentially leaving the Gunners short in forward areas.
Kai-Havertz-Arsenal-Southampton
The man who could replace Havertz against Bournemouth
Belgian forward Leandro Trossard has been unlucky in recent weeks, dropping to the bench against Southampton despite registering a goal and an assist in his two previous outings.
Over the recent international break, the 29-year-old starred for his country, registering two goal contributions in the comeback draw with Italy in the Nations League.
Trossard-Arsenal-
However, with Arsenal’s return to Premier League action this weekend and the current fitness issues in the final third, Trossard could be handed a start in a central role, replacing Havertz after his recent knee issue.
He’s previously proven that he’s more than capable of producing the goods from a starting position, with the attacking “wizard”, as dubbed by journalist Charlie Haffenden, scoring in his last league start against Leicester City last month.
Leandro Trossard's Premier League stats for Arsenal (2024/25)
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
7
Goals scored
2
Pass accuracy
77%
Dribbles completed
1.1
Touches in opposition box
6.9
Shots taken
2.6
Chances created
2.4
Stats via FotMob
Trossard has already registered two goals in just four starts this season and as fortunate as the German talent's injury situation may be, it’s handed the £90k-per-week ace a perfect opportunity to stake his claim for a start as a central striker.
Tonight’s meeting is undoubtedly another huge game in the club’s hunt for the Premier League title, with no margin for error given the form of Liverpool and Manchester City in recent weeks.
Arsenal-Trossard-Calafiori
Arteta will be frustrated by the number of injuries currently within the squad, but hopefully, the players who are coming in to replace the unavailable talents will step up to the plate and do the business for the Gunners.
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