We head to the south coast on Sunday for the final game of our three-match away trilogy, hoping to continue the incremental improvement that was evident at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
After our Emirates FA Cup exit at Nottingham Forest, Arsene Wenger demanded a response in west London and he got it, as we delivered a disciplined defensive display to frustrate the hosts.
More will be expected from at the Vitality Stadium against a Bournemouth team which has never beaten us in the Premier League, but having had to fight back from three goals down to rescue a point in the corresponding fixture last term, we know all about the danger the Cherries pose.
Read on for a comprehensive pre-match briefing. We’ve got classic goals against Bournemouth, team news, an exclusive chat with the manager, match facts, graphics and a chance to have your say.
A LACA GOALS
Wenger on Alex Lacazette going eight games without a goal...
“Everybody goes through that spell. Alexandre Lacazette is a real team player and if he continues to give to the team what he’s giving at the moment, the team will give it back to him. At some stage, he will score very quickly. But because he’s not used to that, at the moment it’s a bit difficult for him to bear that, but I’m not worried about it, honestly."
TEAM NEWS
ARSENAL: Cazorla (ankle), Monreal (ankle), Giroud (hamstring), Koscielny (Achilles), Kolasinac (foot), Ozil (knee - doubt)
BOURNEMOUTH: King (hamstring - doubt), Stanislas (hamstring - doubt), Defoe (ankle), Mings (back)
THE OPPOSITION
Tactical expert Michael Cox:
“Bournemouth are good in possession, and well-organised in a spatial sense - the player in possession always has multiple passing options, and the Cherries keep width well. Much of this comes from full-backs Charlie Daniels and Adam Smith, who both overlap energetically."
THE LAST WORD
Wenger on the defensive discipline at Chelsea…
“We needed to respond in a very united, compact and determined way, and that’s what we did. We were maybe less convincing than we are used to going forward, but you could feel that it was very important for the squad to be disciplined, determined and focused defensively. That’s what we did quite well."
Matchday Show: Bournemouth (a)
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