TEAM NEWS
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is available after illness, while Laurent Koscielny could start after overcoming a minor injury to play as a substitute in Sunday’s win against Southampton.
Arsenal will assess Alex Iwobi and Stephan Lichtsteiner, who are nursing respective ankle and back problems. Bournemouth midfielder Jefferson Lerma begins a two-match suspension for accumulating 10 bookings.
Steve Cook, Callum Wilson, David Brooks and Junior Stanislas remain sidelined. Lewis Cook and Simon Francis are long-term absentees.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@iandennisbbc: Ahead of their only two Premier League games in March, crucial fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester United, Arsenal have to cash in against Bournemouth if they are to qualify for the Champions League.
Unai Emery was satisfied with his side’s intensity against Southampton on Sunday, and their form at the Emirates is proving to be a solid foundation for a top four finish – only Manchester City have taken more points at home.
Eddie Howe has talked about the possibility of Bournemouth getting dragged into a relegation battle. Not since Portsmouth in 2006 has a team in the top flight lost eight consecutive away matches while conceding at least two goals in each.
Bournemouth won’t go down but, with Manchester City at home on Saturday, Howe is wise not to be presumptuous.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Arsenal head coach Unai Emery on the club being linked with Roma director of football Monchi: “I was usually working with a sporting director in all of the teams.
“The club is working on how we can improve, how we can be better in the present and the future with the people working for us.”
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: “We try and go in to every match with the idea of imposing ourselves. We’ve had some close games against Arsenal, and we’re hoping we can go one better tomorrow night.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Arsenal have already disposed of one south coast team at the Emirates Stadium this week, and I am going for the same result again.
They have some issues that need sorting out, but their home form against teams from mid-table and below is not one of them.
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Arsenal have won their four home meetings with Bournemouth in all competitions by a aggregate score of 11-1.
- Bournemouth’s only win in eight competitive fixtures against Arsenal came at the Vitality Stadium last season (D1, L6).
Arsenal
- Arsenal have won seven consecutive Premier League home matches.
- They have the second best home record in the division, behind Manchester City, with 11 wins and 35 points from 14 matches.
- The Gunners have gone two years without losing a Premier League home fixture against a team from outside the established top six since a 2-1 defeat by Watford on 31 January 2017.
- They could keep consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since September.
- Alexandre Lacazette could become the first Arsenal player to score in five consecutive Premier League home matches since Robin van Persie from December 2011 to March 2012.
Bournemouth
- The Cherries are on a club top-flight record run of eight consecutive away defeats, conceding at least two goals each time.
- They have only once had a longer streak of away league defeats in a single season: 11 matches between December 1933 and May 1934 in the Third Division South.
- Bournemouth could lose more than 10 away fixtures in a single season since 2008-09, when they suffered 11 defeats in the fourth tier.
- Joshua King has scored four goals in his last five league games.
- Ryan Fraser has nine assists this season but has failed to score or provide an assist in each of his last six league appearances.
Source: BBC News
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