Arsenal have an unenviable record of not being ahead in any of their Premier League games by half time and yet they have managed to rack up seven wins from their 12 matches, and have only been beaten by Chelsea and Man City. Unai Emery has shaped Arsenal into a team that relishes a fight back, but their slow starts could be their undoing against AFCB.
Against Leicester, Arsenal managed to win having gone a goal down but they could only muster a draw against Wolves having conceded first. Even Fulham, who Arsenal swept aside 5-1 went into their match level at half-time. So if Eddie Howe can engender his players to come out with the kind of start they made against Man United, in their last home match and take their chances, Bournemouth could find themselves out of sight by half-time against Arsenal.
Catching Arsenal cold is surely what Bournemouth will aim to do. For all the praise for the way Aubameyang has been scoring goals (seven so far) and the forward play of Ozil (three goals) and Lacazette (five goals), there is a weakness about Arsenal's defence, which has let in 15 goals, only one less than AFCB. Arsenal have also only managed two clean sheets. Kolasinac has come in for most of the criticism, while Petr Cech has been replaced by Bernd Leo in goal. The midfield performances of Iwobi and Xhaka have also not found top gear this season and with big games for Arsenal to play against Spurs and Man United next, the Bournemouth match is perhaps a last chance for some of these players to demonstrate that they have what it takes to be starting in a Unia Emery team.
So Arsenal come to Dean Court with confidence in going on an unbeaten run, but knowing that they have found defeats when they have played other teams in the top six. Wolves gave them a scare in their last outing on home turf and playing away at AFCB is likely to be a bigger test for Arsenal. They also pay Bournemouth at perhaps a moment when Eddie Howe is desperate to get back to winning ways after the Cherries' recent defeats.
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| Arsenal were beaten 2-1 last time at Dean Court. |
Catching Arsenal cold is surely what Bournemouth will aim to do. For all the praise for the way Aubameyang has been scoring goals (seven so far) and the forward play of Ozil (three goals) and Lacazette (five goals), there is a weakness about Arsenal's defence, which has let in 15 goals, only one less than AFCB. Arsenal have also only managed two clean sheets. Kolasinac has come in for most of the criticism, while Petr Cech has been replaced by Bernd Leo in goal. The midfield performances of Iwobi and Xhaka have also not found top gear this season and with big games for Arsenal to play against Spurs and Man United next, the Bournemouth match is perhaps a last chance for some of these players to demonstrate that they have what it takes to be starting in a Unia Emery team.
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So Arsenal come to Dean Court with confidence in going on an unbeaten run, but knowing that they have found defeats when they have played other teams in the top six. Wolves gave them a scare in their last outing on home turf and playing away at AFCB is likely to be a bigger test for Arsenal. They also pay Bournemouth at perhaps a moment when Eddie Howe is desperate to get back to winning ways after the Cherries' recent defeats.
Possible AFCB line up
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| AFCB Subs: Boruc, Mings, Gosling, Surman, Ibe, Stanislas, Defoe |
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