Arsenal-Bournemouth Preview

Arsenal could be missing eight first-team regulars when they take on Bournemouth on Saturday, Mikel Arteta has revealed.

Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Fabio Vieira sustained injuries in the north London derby, while Leandro Trossard missed that game against Tottenham due to a hamstring issue.

Gabriel Martinelli went off in a win over Everton on September 17, while Thomas Parety is out with a groin injury. Jurrien Timber, meanwhile, is a long-term absentee.

"They are all in the same pool," Arteta said of the injury doubts. "We have a few. We have to see and adapt to the situation because that's a big number. Are they fit enough? Have they done enough to be able to be selected tomorrow and that's the question mark.

"My hope is that everybody is fit and available, because we need them with the amount of games that we have already under the belt in the last two weeks and what is coming in the next seven to 10 days. We need them, so hopefully today we get some good news."

Arsenal have dropped points in only two games this season, while Bournemouth are yet to win under Andoni Iraola, who Arteta knows well.

"We know each other really well. We played together, we had fantastic times together. We played together in Antiguoko, which is a team in San Sebastian that has produced a lot of players over the years," said Arteta. "That's the beauty of football that 30 years later we are here together in the Premier League as managers. I'm really happy for that."

Bournemouth – Dominic Solanke

Solanke has been directly involved in 10 goals in his last 17 Premier League appearances (6 goals, 4 four assists). His three goals in six appearances this season is already halfway to his entire total in 2022-23 (6 in 33 games).

Arsenal – Bukayo Saka

Should he be fit, then Saka will no doubt be key for the Gunners. The winger has either scored (four) or assisted (two) in six of his last seven Premier League appearances, and has 17 goals and 13 assists in 41 appearances since the start of last season. However, Bournemouth are one of only three sides he has faced without scoring against in the competition (four games), along with Burnley and Leicester City.

Iraola is winless in all six of his Premier League games in charge of Bournemouth (D3 L3) – the last manager to have a longer winless start with all games coming within the same season was Remi Garde in 2015-16 with Aston Villa (nine games), while the only Spanish manager with no wins in his first seven games in the competition is Pepe Mel in 2014 with West Brom.

Only Everton (0) have scored fewer home Premier League goals this season than Bournemouth (1), with the Cherries underperforming their expected goal total on home soil by 2.1.

Arsenal have scored at least once in all 12 of their Premier League games against Bournemouth, netting 29 goals in total. Bournemouth have won just one of their Premier League games against Arsenal (D2 L9), picking up a 2-1 home victory in January 2018.

Bournemouth – 18.7%

Arsenal – 55.7%

Draw – 25.6%

Updated September 29, 2023