Our 2024 pre-season campaign kicks off in Los Angeles with a game against Bournemouth, who are in the US for the first time since 2016.
A little over two months we faced off in Premier League action when goals from Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice sealed a 3-0 success in north London, but how much has changed for the Cherries since?
Ahead of the game, here is everything you need to know about how the summer has gone for our opponents:
How did Bournemouth fare last season?
Despite beginning the season without a win in their first nine league matches and new boss Andoni Iraola under severe pressure, the Cherries went on to amass a club-record total of 48 Premier League points to finish 12th, only slipping out of the top half after losing their final three games, which included a 3-0 loss at our hands.
Spearheaded by the goals of Dominic Solanke, who hit 21 in all competitions, Bournemouth equalled their previous high of 13 top-flight wins in a campaign, as Iraola proved that patience pays off.
Have Bournemouth DIPPED INTO transfer MARKET?
The Spanish boss has moved to continue his side’s upward trajectory. Firstly, he completed permanent deals for the on-loan Luis Sinisterra from Leeds United for a reported £20 million, and Turkish striker Enes Unal who arrived from Getafe for £13 million.
Other smaller moves have also been completed, with New Zealand international goalkeeper Alex Paulsen captured from Wellington Phoenix, and Sheffield United striker Daniel Jebbison acquired after his contract at Sheffield United expired, who is tipped to go out on loan this season.
Moving in the other direction is Wales international Kieffer Moore who has headed to Bramall Lane, while Joe Rothwell has joined Leeds on loan. Lloyd Kelly is now at Newcastle United after becoming a free agent, while Jamal Lowe linked up with Sheffield Wednesday. Ryan Fredricks, Emiliano Marcondes and Darren Randolph have all been released.
Who have Bournemouth selected for their tour?
Having featured at Euro 2024, Milos Kerkez (Hungary), Ryan Christie (Scotland) and Illia Zabarnyi (Ukraine) have travelled after exiting at the group stage, while Tyler Adams has also linked up with the squad despite being part of the Copa America in the USA.
Having been on loan last season, David Brooks, Hamed Traore, Jaidon Anthony and Gavin Kilkenny have travelled too, as has Unal but he won’t feature against us due to a foot injury.
Brooks is also recovering from a dislocated shoulder, while Tyler Adams has had back surgery and those two will also not play on Wednesday, as well as youngster Owen Bevan who has picked up a quad issue.
Another major miss is Siniesta who is still enjoying time off after featuring in the final of the Copa America, while new signing Paulsen has stayed at home.
Bournemouth’s travelling squad:
Goalkeepers: Neto, Mark Travers, Will Dennis
Defenders: Adam Smith, Marcos Senesi, Max Aarons, James Hill, Chris Mepham, Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi, Owen Bevan, Max Kinsey
Midfielders: Lewis Cook, Alex Scott, Philip Billing, Marcus Tavernier, Romain Faivre, Ryan Christie, Tyler Adams, David Brooks, Gavin Kilkenny, Hamed Traore
Forwards: Dominic Solanke, Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Dango Ouattara, Daniel Jebbison, Enes Unal, Jaidon Anthony, Daniel Adu-Adjei
How have Bournemouth fared in pre-season so far?
Having played Crystal Palace in a behind-closed-doors friendly at their training ground before heading across the Atlantic, Iraola’s team landed in Los Angeles last Tuesday to begin a two-week training camp.
On Saturday, they took on League One side Wrexham at a sold-out Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara. Against a second-string Cherries starting line-up, the Welsh side took the lead before half-time when James McClean's corner was headed into his own net by young defender James Hill, but as Iraola gradually strengthen his side from the bench, they improved and Marcos Senesi made it 1-1 early in the second half, which is how the scoreline stayed.
Speaking post-match, Iraola wasn't too happy with the display, saying: “I didn’t finish very happy with the performance, especially the first half. We played really slow. We were much better in the second half, obviously. But I think it has been a good game, especially physically, with the conditions and the pitch. A lot of things to improve, but it’s why we come here and play these kind of teams.”
Following our game, they return home for two more friendlies at the Vitality Stadium against Real Vallacano and Girona as they gear up for their Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, August 17.
How can I watch Arsenal v Bournemouth?
Tickets for the game at Dignity Health Sports Park are still available to purchase. The game is a 7.30pm kick-off local time on Wednesday, July 24.
If you're based in either the UK or the Republic of Ireland, you can catch all the action live on Arsenal.com and the official app by purchasing a match pass for only £6.99.
Coverage starts at 2.30am UK time in the early hours of Thursday morning, with a full hour-long build-up show getting you ready for the start of our 2024/25 season!
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