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Arsenal Player Ratings: Sokratis and Ramsey impress, as wasteful Gunners let Spurs off the hook

By
The Long Shadow
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Aaron Ramsey

Tottenham played host to Arsenal at Wembley with the points margin significantly reduced between them. Instead of fighting for the title, Spurs may be under threat for 3rd and 4th position as Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea look to seize the advantage.

This Derby wasn’t a classic but it was well contested, full of incident and controversial.
Arsenal had enough chances but were disgracefully wasteful. Lacazette could have had three, Iwobi one and Aubameyang a penalty goal but it all went begging.

The Emirates club will now have to clip United’s wings at the Emirates next weekend if they want to push on.

Here are Arsenal Player Ratings:

Leno – 7 – Brilliant double save showed how vital the young German will be in seasons to come.

Mustafi – 5 – Didn’t do much wrong and in an unfamiliar role but the barge on Harry Kane allowed Spurs back in and tainted a good performance.

Koscielny – 7 – Good showing under pressure, especially during Tottenham’s punting spell. High balls, long balls were no problem for a man who shows balls every week.

Sokratis – 8 – The embodiment of Arsenal’s fighting spirit. Always put a foot in and even led the crowd in celebration, the guy’s a keeper.

Monreal – 6 – Not his most explosive game, his contribution was fair but not exciting.
Showed great heart in the heat of the battle.

Guendouzi – 6 – He was always going to be expendable if changes needed to be made.
Another fabulous memory for the youngster and the experience is useful. Passionate as always.

Xhaka – 7 – Made himself busy and made a vital contribution in the middle. Not scared to get physical and pressurize the opposition.

Ramsey – 8 – Constantly covering ground during the match, not afraid to take chances, took his goal extremely well. A fond farewell to his second home.

Iwobi – 6 – Untidy and careless at times but he posed a threat down the left and nearly got a goal. The guy just needs to work on what he does when he reaches the box and the quality of his final ball.

Mkhitaryan – 7 – Continues to improve since his injury and although not dominant, he showed quality and assured touch. Worked hard in the trenches and was always looking for opportunities.

Lacazette – 5 – Unusually wasteful and not really on the boil. I wanted him ahead of Aubameyang for his power and energy but they seemed to be lacking. Missed three golden opportunities which would have buried Spurs, disappointing today.

SUBS:

Aubameyang – 5 – Never looked the part, never got going and never looked like scoring a goal.  Real chance to go into to Arsenal folklore but he took a shoddy penalty which made Lloris look like a hero.

Ozil – 6 – No time to find a rhythm, needed to come on earlier. Arrived before the equaliser and the stop, start nature of the game and Spurs pressing never suited him.

Torriera – 7 – Will consider himself unlucky to be sent off and should ask the club to fight the decision. Good, solid tackle that took the ball but offended the ref.
Solid performance, gave the midfield something extra when he came on.

Tottenham 1-1 Arsenal: Aubameyang penalty blunder let’s Spurs grab a point

By
The Long Shadow
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Well, as North London Derby’s go, it didn’t hit the heights but it had incidents by the truckload. A penalty that had Harry “truffle-sniffer” Kane, half a yard offside and a dubious sending off in accordance with the interpretation of the law. Then there were the feisty tackles, the glaring misses from Lacazette, the heroic double save from Leno and the soft penalty of Aubameyang.

It wasn’t what fans had hoped for but as entertainment goes, it had enough of everything to keep the conversation going for several hours after the match. In reality, the score could have been a lot higher and Arsenal narrowly missed the opportunity to run off with the points at the death but let’s go back to the beginning.

It all got very tasty early on and the appetite for a goal was nearly realised within 3 minutes. Iwobi zipped in from the left, lofting the ball over the heads of the defenders.
It dropped perfectly to Lacazette, who spanked his volley wide and the subsequent ‘oooh’ of that miss, could be heard three miles away.

If ever a ball deserved a solid finish, it was this one and Lacazette will have night terrors about this until the end of the season, especially if Arsenal fail to take fourth spot by 2 points. Spurs then had to settle the nerves for a while and the game became patchy and edgy, with plenty of probing and prodding but no end product.

Then Harry Kane, the FA’s bastard offspring, who is above any form of prosecution, cantered forward only to be scythed down from Granit Xhaka, which raised mass smiles, applause and cheers. After 16 minutes, Wembley veteran Aaron Ramsey, in his beloved second home, picked up the ball after Sanchez made a hash of cutting it out. The Welshman raced off, like a thief after a bag snatch, rounded the keeper and the game was up and running.

Spurs withdrew back into their shell, well, they have to have somewhere to live. Subsequently, they resorted to long balls forward for Son and the truffle-sniffer, which Arsenal were comfortable with. At this stage, I thought to myself, I hope they have a plan B, because plan A is just a case of hoof it and hope for the best.

Then Arsenal fans hearts skipped, a beat as Trippier, who scored an excellent own goal during the week, provided Kane with an inch-perfect cross, which he parked firmly on his head and into the Arsenal net. The verdict was offside, he set off fractionally too early to the relief of Arsenal fans. Then Mustafi and Rose got into a match long scrap, each looking to brutalise the other as the opportunity came about.

Spurs looked lost at this point and you sensed that if this carried on for long enough, the Gunners would capitalise on the slackness, lack of confidence and fatigue that was obvious. After 41 minutes Iwobi on the left had Trippier chasing his shadow and released an awkward curler which Loris scrambled to clear.

Three minutes after that, Leno pulled off a magnificent double save from Erickson and then Sissoko. The Arsenal shot-stopper got a leg to the first effort and his left hand to the follow-up. Once the backline is sorted, Leno provides the perfect last line of defence and will make a massive contribution in the coming seasons.

It all then got slightly bitty until Eriksen put a ball across for Kane who was half a yard offside, Mustafi used a shoulder and Spurs were awarded a penalty which Kane confidently thundered the ball into the net. Then in the 90th minute, Mkhitaryan again found the perfect ball for Aubameyang, who set off like an express train down the right side, only to be caught by Sanchez for a penalty. It was a slightly soft penalty’s but it more than made up for the Truffle-sniffers penalty.

You would have put your life savings on Arsenal’s top scorer finding the net. Strangely, he looked overwhelmed by the opportunity and as the whistle blew, the Gabonese hot shot reduced the power of his delivery and gave no thought to its direction and Loris pushed it away. Aubameyang tried to turn it in from a yard and a half out, only for Vertonghen to somehow clear the danger.

Was there encroachment from the Spurs player? Yes, but this is the type of decision that goes their way on a weekly basis, so Arsenal can’t complain, it’s expected. If that wasn’t drama enough, well into extra time, Torreira attempted to pinch the ball from Rose but in the process showed his studs on the follow through. It looked a legitimate challenge with no harmful intent and he made contact with the ball but out came the red card. If this decision isn’t subject to a strong appeal, I’ll be amazed.

This was a game that neither could convincingly say they deserved to win. Both sides had excellent spells but they didn’t have enough to justify either being the clear winner. Manchester United’s win over Southampton now raises the stakes considerably for their clash at the Emirates on Sunday. United are 1 point in front of the Gunners and the winner of this contest is in a strong position to claim that vital champions league qualification place.

Preview: Arsenal look to heap further misery on struggling Tottenham

By
The Long Shadow
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It’s a mouthwatering contest, like a cup final but with so much more at stake. If you had to describe the North London Derby to a visiting Martian, the descriptive prologue would have to include the intensity of war, the emotion of a feel-good story, the drama of an explosion and the visual content of a lavish firework display.

It’s not just about points, it’s about who’s best in the Empire of North London. The winner holds the bragging rights until next season and Arsenal are already halfway there with a spectacular 4-2 win at the Emirates. If they should win, it will be only the 4th time that the Gunners have completed a Premier League double over their rivals.

At present, the club’s are separated by just four points but it’s their fortunes that are compelling. Spurs were, up until recently, considered title contenders with a trophy almost guaranteed this season. However, a series of poor results have ended that ambition and Tomorrow, Spurs play hosts to Arsenal, on the back of two consecutive defeats, still in rented accommodation and trophy-less for another season.

Well, that’s not quite true because Mauricio Pochettino and Son Heung-min picked up awards for Manager and player of the year. Yes, really!. Arsenal started the season optimistically but they have been plagued by injury and inconsistencies. Then, just when it seemed it couldn’t get any worse, Unai Emery drooped the loan only bombshell, in the January window.

The press could smell blood, Arsenal’s competitive corpse was given an autopsy, where it was said to have arrested due to self-inflicted wounds and this immediately ruled out any chance of a top-four finish. Of course, none of this will matter or even play a part on Saturday, everything will fade into obscurity until that final whistle is blown and the victors can celebrate.

If there was a good time to play Spurs, this is it. A fascinating fluctuation in fortunes that has seen them crash out of the EPL and FA cup’s and also included that defeat against Chelsea which ended their premier league challenge. Arsenal have overcome their struggles and are set to contest a full bloodied encounter that will demand the very best from both sets of players.

Passion will be a minimum requirement and if you were going down that route, then Guendouzi and Ramsey would be included but it will need more than that. Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Kolasinac, and Lacazette, are in good form. This is no place for Denis Suarez and I doubt he’ll even make the bench because Arsenal will need experienced NLD personnel.

The Spurs side that met and were defeated by Chelsea, looked a little light in places, especially in midfield and this is an area that Arsenal can exploit and dominate.
It will be where this game is won. Vertonghen, Alli and Dier will be missing(as per BBC) and this is perhaps why Spurs are losing their way in the premier league. The depth of the squad is shallow and with big players missing, perhaps it was inevitable that points would be dropped.

Here are some stats from BBC:

For those that enjoy coincidence, the last time Spurs lost three consecutive games in a row was back in 2012 and that was to Arsenal.

For those that depend on facts, Arsenal are winless in 21 Premier League away fixtures against other established top six teams since beating Manchester City 2-0 in January 2015 (D7, L14).

The man to watch for me, isn’t Harry Kane, although he will have to be kept quiet by Sokratis. The danger man is Son, the 26-year-old has 16 goals and nine assists in 34 games in all competitions this season. For Arsenal, the key may be Mkhitaryan, who has shown he can boss the midfield and carve out chances.

Arsenal should enjoy the width of Wembley and it’s a shame that Bellerin misses out.
How he would have loved to go blitzing down the wing, stretching Spurs and luring the defence out of their regimented positions. Like putting cat biscuits in a cat basket, to entice your animal inside before a trip to the vets. On current form, it’s Kolasinac, who may thrive in that role and he has been a constant thorn going down the channel.

Both Managers and both sets of players will be aware of the games significance to the fans. It will require character and skill but they will have to avoid the risk of the emotion boiling over, as it so nearly did at the Emirates. Being a man short in this match because of a moment of madness will hand the game to the opponent.

Prediction: Head says 2-2, Heart says 3-1 win

Preferred line up: Leno, Kolasinac, Sokratis, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Torriera, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette.

Possible line up: Leno, Kolasinac, Sokratis, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Ramsey, Lacazette.

Iwobi and Mkhitaryan start, Strongest Predicted Arsenal lineup (3-4-2-1) to face Tottenham

By
Sri Aswin
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Aubameyang

Arsenal have the opportunity to secure a fourth league win on the bounce when they face Tottenham Hotspur at the Wembley Stadium in Saturday’s north London derby.

The Gunners go into the game with the better run of form but they face a massive hurdle to overcome, given they have failed to win against the top six on the road in the past four years.

Formation: 3-4-2-1

Predicted Arsenal Lineup:

Bernd Leno could not keep a clean sheet against Bournemouth in midweek but that was solely due to the poor judgement from Matteo Guendouzi. The German should feature in goal against Spurs.

In the defence, Unai Emery may stick with the three-man backline to provide the added protection against the likes of Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen in the opposition end. Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Nacho Monreal and Laurent Koscielny should retain the positions. Koscielny suffered a late knock against Bournemouth but he should feature after being able to continue in that game.

At right wing-back, Carl Jenkinson will most likely to be replaced and Ainsley Maitland-Niles could be the player tasked with the role after recently returning to training. On the opposite end, Sead Kolasinac should retain his position with Emery recently suggesting that the Bosnian could have carried on against Bournemouth despite the recent muscular concern.

Onto the midfield, Matteo Guendouzi seems the likelier candidate to be sacrificed to compensate for the return of Granit Xhaka, who was completely rested in midweek. The Swiss should partner the efficient Lucas Torreira, who produced a stellar performance in the reverse league fixture against Spurs.

In the attack, Henrikh Mkhitaryan should take up one of the position after contributing two goals and three assists in the past two league games alone.

Alongside him, Alex Iwobi could be favoured ahead of Mesut Ozil, given the Nigerian offers the better work rate which Emery tends to favour for the big games.

Upfront, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is likely to lead the line on his own which was the case during the previous league meeting against Spurs.

The Gabon international recently ended a four-match goal drought against Bournemouth and this should give him the confidence for the derby.

‘Fantastic, sublime football’, Many Arsenal fans praise attacker after stunning display

By
Sri Aswin
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Mkhitaryan

A section of the Arsenal supporters have praised the performance of Henrikh Mkhitaryan following the club’s 5-1 league triumph over Bournemouth on Wednesday night.

The Gunners needed to win against the Cherries to maintain their fourth position in the standings and they managed to rightly do so with a comfortable win in the end.

Mkhitaryan was the standout performer with his direct attacking approach and he grabbed himself a goal and two assists before being substituted after the hour mark.

With the man of the match effort, the Armenian became the first player since Santi Cazorla (Opta Joe) to register a goal and an assist in successive league matches for the Gunners.

Here are some of the best tweets;

https://twitter.com/MessiMinutes/status/1100864374598758401

Mkhitaryan only returned from a foot injury at the beginning of February and following a couple of average performances against Huddersfield and BATE, he has managed to up his level.

Still, the attacker has not quite shone on the big stage for the Gunners yet and he has the best chance to do so during the weekend north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

Mkhitaryan had a rather forgettable experience during the previous visit to the Wembley Stadium to face Spurs but hopefully, he can turn up this time around.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have gone through a dismal run of league form which has dropped them within four points of the Gunners and the fans would no doubt love inflicting more damage on their cross-town rivals.

Arsenal Player Ratings: Bournemouth fall victim to Gunners midfield tour de force

By
The Long Shadow
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Arsenal Players

Only Manchester City have a better home record than Arsenal this season and Bournemouth, with so many absentees, looked unlikely to change that.

Arsenal had some nervy moments in the first half and contrived to let the visitors back in after taking a 2-0 lead through Ozil and Mkhitaryan. Guendouzi switched off in possession and allowed Mousset to reply in the 30th minute.

The Gunners were just warming up and goals by Koscielny, Aubameyang and Lacazette finished off the game in style, setting up a massive clash between the Emirates Club and their North London neighbours on Saturday.

Here are Arsenal Player Ratings:

Leno – 7 – Alert as always and ready to bail the Gunners out with some important saves. Not much could be done for the Bournemouth goal, deprived of a clean sheet.

Sokratis – 7.5 – Bullish and ready to fight from the first whistle, he embodies the best of Arsenal and acquitted himself well.

Koscielny – 7 – A surprise inclusion but as always, he wasn’t scared to put the vulnerable body parts on the line in an emergency. Nearly sustained an injury, something we say almost weekly.

Monreal – 7 – Seems to be recovering confidence and fitness, never put a foot wrong but one suspects his time is coming to an end at the Emirates, like his Captain.

Jenkinson – 7 – A rare outing for the defender and about time.
Emery seems to be suffering from delayed reactions when it comes to giving out chances. Jenkinson should have been the automatic choice for Bellerin’s position instead of Lichsteiner.
Plays with grit and heart.

Torreira – 7 – Reads the game so well and is able to sniff out danger and snuff it out. The heart of Arsenal’s engine and next season, with a few additions, he will be even more competitive in support of the strikers.

Guendouzi – 6 – Not his best game, willing with lots of energy but not involved in the key moments of the game and got caught in possession for the Bournemouth goal.

Kolasinac – 8 – Another top quality performance, especially early on before being subbed.Set the tone of the match and was a constant threat. Goes from strength to strength.

Mkhitaryan – 9 – Each week sees the Armenian show his worth. He’s been in with a shout for ‘man of the match’ on the last few occasions. Really coming into his own, Emery dare not leave him out at present.

Ozil – 10 – There’s been so much said but the German poked his coach in the eye with a glittering ‘man of the match performance’ few can do what this player does with so little effort. His speed of thought is sensational and I’m hoping that Emery now appreciates what the rest of us have known for some time.
It’s not going to be every week but it’s worth the wait.

Aubameyang – 7 – A decent contribution and he took his goal well, always looking to support Ozil, Mkhitaryan and Kolasinac.
Emery just has to find a system that incorporates both him and Lacazette.

SUBS

Iwobi – 6 – I didn’t expect him to feature but what he did, he did well. Loves pushing forward. Put himself in the shop window for the Spurs game.

Suarez – 6 – We are still waiting to see what all the fuss is about.
Made some runs, performed some dribbles but I’m just not sure what we have yet. We keep saying that he’s due to start a game but he really is.

Lacazette – 7 – The Frenchman is always good value, looking to get Arsenal in the danger areas and he is always ready to work his socks off to get a goal. Great free kick and could have had another goal late on.

‘Fantastic, Top class’, some Arsenal fans praise midfielder’s performance vs Bournemouth

By
Sri Aswin
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Mesut Ozil

A few Arsenal supporters expressed their pleasure over the performance of Mesut Ozil during the 5-1 league win over Bournemouth on Wednesday night.

The former Germany international has endured a stop-start season with the Gunners this term but he managed to produce a scintillating performance against the Cherries.

Ozil opened the scoring within the fourth minute with a stunning bounce technique and he thereafter helped the Gunners double the advantage with a selfless assist for Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

He continued to impress alongside the Armenian in the Gunners attack but could not add to the scoresheet with the woodwork and the Cherries defence denying him to do so.

Here are some of the best tweets:

https://twitter.com/arseblog/status/1100873025145188352

Ozil showed the desire to make a strong impression against the Cherries and he set the example from the start with a stunning bounce technique to outclass Artur Boruc in the Cherries goal.

His movement thereafter was splendid to watch but what impressed the most was the partnership with Mkhitaryan – with the two in coordination with each other whenever on the attack.

Despite this, Arsenal boss Unai Emery didn’t confirm(via Arsenal’s official website) whether Ozil may start in the weekend’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

Emery has restricted from selecting Ozil when it comes to the away league matches this year but he should make the matchday squad after excelling against the Cherries.

Should he be limited to a bench role, it remains to be seen whether he can produce the same level of performance when called upon to the field of play.

Review: Dazzling Arsenal beat Bournemouth 5-1 as Mesut Ozil shows his class

By
The Long Shadow
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Arsenal Stadium

Well, this rotation game is a funny old business, both Mesut Ozil & Carl Jenkinson featured on the same side at the same time.
The unwanted English right back and the unusable German were given the nod against Bournemouth but there was still no room for the unplayable ‘loan boy’ Denis Suarez, who can’t even buy a game.

Sead Kolasinac picked up where he left off against Southampton and appeared to be in a rush to get the job done. His fearsome demeanour, dripping with energy and purpose from the sound of the whistle.

To illustrate the point, after just 4 minutes, Kolasinac fed Ozil, who made space for himself even when there’s none on offer.
With an ocean of room at his disposal, the German, who was being willed on by the majority of Arsenal fans, saw Boruc drop early and he promptly lifted it over him, with one exquisite touch.

If a reminder were needed of Ozil’s class, this was it. Calm, assured and razor-sharp anticipation with the deftest touch. Emery celebrated but must be aware of the dilemma he has put himself in.

Then Kolasinac opened up the throttle. Whatever they are feeding him these days should become part of a much bigger group intake. It looked like this was going to be his night again and that he’d trouble me for another man of the match accolade because of his vital contribution.

The match was only in its infancy when Arsenal forced Bournemouth to change formation with a solitary striker and five in midfield but the difference in class became apparent and the Gunners began to dominate. Kolasinac continued to inspire and around the 10-minute mark, he found Mkhitaryan who took it from chest to foot, firing a rifle like volley, which was turned away for a corner.

Kolasinac is beginning to forge an understanding with the Armenian and for the second game in a row, he linked up with him to provide him with a chance. You felt at this stage, if another chance came along, the former United misfit would make sure he hit the net. As we said in the preview to this game, Mkhitaryan’s performances in an Arsenal shirt were starting to come together.

For Bournemouth, King had a couple of chances with Leno performing a brilliant save, flying low to his left. The shot-stopper obviously had his eye on another clean sheet and despite Arsenal’s kamikaze defending, he’d stop at nothing to secure it. After 27 minutes Ozil combined with Mkhitaryan playing a neat one-two, Ozil rounded the keeper and put it on a plate for his teammate. Beautiful football, so Mesut Ozil.

Three minutes later, Arsenal managed to undo all the good work when Guendouzi lost concentration. A short ball on the edge of the area found the Frenchman napping and an alert Gosling picked his pocket and squared it to the advancing Mousset. It was a moment of stupidity that allowed Bournemouth to get a toehold back in the game.

If anyone knows how to make a game out of a foregone conclusion, it’s Arsenal. Almost routinely giving the opposition chances by ignoring the easy options. A left foot hoof into row Z would have been preferred to dabbling around the fringe of their own area. It was an accident waiting to happen, that left the silent crowd pondering the prospects of Arsenal throwing more points away when there was no need.

In the second half, Ozil was starting to find his very best form, easing along the lines of the midfield and imperiously breezing forward. You sensed that the crowd were glad to see him and his creative genius reunited and there was almost unanimous approval.

Something was coming, it would never stay 2-1 for long and then on 47 minutes, from a short corner between Ozil and Jenkinson it arrived with Koscielny, who pulled the trigger. The ball ping-ponged between a defender and the post before crossing the line and it needed a replay or two before you could determine how and who but it crossed the Bournemouth line before Boruc attempted to scoop it out.

Then ten minutes later, a Gosling effort deflected off Monreal, beating Leno but not the bar, Arsenal nearly opened the door again. The edgy atmosphere calmed again when Aubameyang killed the game off. Henrikh Mkhitaryan picked up the ball in his own half and drove forward and the pitch opened up for him.
He noticed Aubameyang between the two defenders and as the ball found him, it was as good as a goal.

By now the Emirates was in party mood and ready to have an Ozil love in. He deserved it and his name rang out around the stadium. Secretly, he must have been inwardly thrilled having spent so much time wondering if he was going to be pushed toward the exit door.

In the 78th minute, Daniels had a nibble at Torreira and earned a yellow card in the process. Lacazette stepped up and curled it superbly into the Bournemouth net. There was one more gem left, Ozil, having played a game which would be remembered for some time, put the perfect ball over the top for the advancing Lacazette but sadly, the end product wasn’t there.

That really would have set the place alight but a scoreline of 5-1 was as much as anyone could have hoped for. Emery may find it exceptionally difficult to leave Ozil out of the North London Derby on Saturday but if he did and they lost, would he be able to offer up the “We win with him, we lose with him” excuse, because, without him, the chances of defeat seem more likely.

Preview: Arsenal look to keep the momentum going against Bournemouth

By
The Long Shadow
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An Arsenal line up these days is something of a guessing game.
Whereas most teams have a relatively stable core, Arsenal’s is dramatically less so, due to injuries and Unai Emery’s insistence on rotating players.

This is likely to be the case against Eddie Howe’s overachieving Bournemouth, who sit in 12th position in the premier league.

With only a credible top ten finish as their goal, Howe’s men will do their best to cause problems but they may find it difficult with the Gunners showing strong home form this season.

There are similarities between the sides, not only in terms of their attack-minded philosophy but also with a shared problem. Both have been dreadfully inconsistent and both have flattered to deceive, with performances that should have taken them comfortably forward.

After a 2-0 loss to Everton in January, Bournemouth then beat West Ham convincingly and followed that up with the 4-0 mauling of Chelsea, indicating that South Coast club were in a rich vein of form but that bubble soon burst with subsequent loses to Cardiff and Liverpool and a recent hard-fought draw with Wolves.

The Emirates club’s pivotal point was thought to be the intense 4-2 win over title contenders Spurs but they have not repeated that performance since or even looked the same side.

Like Arsenal, Bournemouth have been plagued by injury and will probably be without Wilson, L. Cook, Francis, Brooks, Lerma,
S. Cook and Stanislas, as per BBC. The report states that Arsenal will assess Iwobi and Stephan Lichtsteiner before the games, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles is available after illness.

Given the choice, Kolasinac would definitely be included after his performance against Southampton. Guendouzi’s purpose and energy would be required to assist Torreira in front of the defence and Sokratis would add some physicality to the backline.

Ozil and Mkhitaryan would start. If Iwobi is deemed unfit, it would allow a Suarez debut but there would be no room for Aubameyang or Xhaka.  It’s a straight choice between Lacazette or the Gabonese striker for this outing and the Frenchman wins that one hand down with his link-up play, drive and touch.

Personally, Aubameyang hasn’t looked his usual self in recent matches, looking just a little short since his recent illness. Perhaps rest will help restore the fire to his belly for the final phase of the season.

I fully expect an Arsenal win, a draw is of no use and a loss unthinkable. With bigger games ahead, the north London club needs to turn the screws at this level to keep 4th slot. The competition will be tight and any game where points are lost, at this stage of the season, will be reflected in the final positions.

Prediction:- 4-0

Preferred team:- Leno, Monreal, Mustafi, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Torreira, Guendouzi, Suarez, Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Lacazette.

Likely team:- Leno, Monreal, Koscielny, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles; Guendouzi, Torreira, Suarez, Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang.

Arsenal provide fitness update on three first-team players including Iwobi

By
Sri Aswin
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Unai Emery

Arsenal have provided a fitness update on three first-team players ahead of tonight’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium.

The north London side jumped to fourth in the league standings last weekend after they picked a 2-0 triumph over Southampton.

However, the team did endure fitness concerns with Alex Iwobi and Stephan Lichtsteiner being substituted during the game with a knock and a back problem respectively.

Ahead of the Bournemouth clash, a report on the club’s official website has revealed that the duo are still nursing minor injuries and their involvement may be determined by a late fitness test.

Elsewhere, the Capital side have received a boost in the defensive front with Ainsley Maitland-Niles recovering from the illness which kept him out of the matchday squad against Southampton.

In the injury absence of Hector Bellerin, Maitland-Niles and Lichtsteiner have been regularly utilised on the right side of the defence, and the latter should stand the chance of retaining the spot against Bournemouth with Lichtsteiner doubtful with a back concern.

Arsenal are currently holding a one-point advantage over Manchester United for the fourth position and there lies no room for error, considering the recent form displayed by Ole’s team.

After the Cherries clash, the Gunners are scheduled to face Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in successive league matches.

These matches may define their top four prospects, but in between those, they have a crucial Europa League round of 16 away leg against Rennes to contend with.

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