Unai Emery will make as many as eleven changes to his team for the Bournemouth clash, although Mesut Ozil is still expected to be left out.
Unai Emery will be demanding consistency from his team when they host Bournemouth at the Emirates. The manager will be hoping his team mirror their Europa League form into the Premier League. After last Monday’s draw with Manchester United, Arsenal sit in fourth spot and with a win they could climb to third on the table. However, there are plenty of changes to the team expected.
Emery is likely to change the entire starting lineup that played against Standard Liege in midweek, which saw defensive trio Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney play 90-minutes. Shkodran Mustafi is also expected to be dropped in favour of Emery’s preferred defensive partnership of David Luiz and Sokratis. Sead Kolasinac is also likely to return at left-back.
All changes on one side, Emery is still expected to ignore Mesut Ozil for this clash, after his recent comments about the German not deserving a spot in the team. Those comments came after Ozil was overlooked entirely and didn’t even make the matchday squad for the Europa League clash. Dani Ceballos is expected to take his place.
While the status on the German is clear, the curiosity stemmed from knowing if Emery will include either of Holding, Tierney and Bellerin in the lineup against Bournemouth. While it looks unlikely either will make the grade for Sunday, Emery gave a possible explanation in his presser.
He said, “They are three different circumstances with the injuries and with the timings. But now they are very close for us. The closest is maybe Rob Holding. He has played two matches with us and also for the under-23s.
And Kieran Tierney is the same. I think Hector Bellerin needs more time to be 100 per cent, but I think all the minutes he played yesterday were very good to achieve a rhythm and above all confidence to play when we need him in future.”
So with that let’s take a look at how Arsenal might lineup against Bournemouth at the Emirates.
Bernd Leno is expected to replace Emiliano Martinez between the posts. Calum Chambers might start again at right-back after being rested in midweek. Kolasinac, who was also rested, should replace Tierney at left-back. Sokratis and Luiz are likely to start in central defence at the expense of Holding and Mustafi.
A midfield-two of Matteo Guendouzi and newly named captain Granit Xhaka is a likelihood, with Lucas Torreira and Joe Willock likely to drop to the bench. Ceballos is expected to take the No.10 role, behind the striker. Bukayo Saka is also expected to come back into the side on the right side of attack, with Nicolas Pepe to take the left side, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will play central striker.
