And so to the Stadium of Stone, where the Arsenal entertain AFC Bournemouth in Saturday’s early evening kick-off.
A hundred years ago to the day, (if you are reading this on May 2), Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic, as it then was, long before renaming itself in a pathetic attempt to precede Arsenal among English clubs, if only alphabetically, also visited London. Its opponents were Brentford, and the match was a league game in the old Third Division South. Bournemouth won a game described as keen but scrappy, 2-1, in dull weather before 5,000 spectators.
It was the final game of the season and a dead rubber. Brentford were already sure to finish one from bottom in the division, meaning they would have to seek re-election. Bournemouth had already avoided that necessity, albeit they would finish only one place above Brentford.
For a more extensive history of our visitors, I refer you to my preview of this fixture last year and Trev’s excellent preview of the ill-starred game at the Vitality Stadium earlier this season. Yet, it highlights how far Bournemouth — and Brentford, for that matter — have come that they will arrive at the Emirates on Saturday, sitting tenth in the Premier League and still with a decent chance of achieving European football next season. They are one point off eighth. The team that finishes in that position should secure a Conference League spot for next season.
Their ascendancy was by no means a given. Several 1924-25 Third Division South clubs now play non-league football. One, Merthyr Town, has fallen to tier 7 of the pyramid, although it has just won the Southern League Premier Division South and thus promotion to tier 6 for next season. Another, Aberdare Athletic, folded long ago. The Third Division South had several Welsh teams. When the Football League expanded to three divisions after World War 1, the Third Division South was carved out of the Southern League, which had a section comprising clubs from South Wales.
Bournemouth are relatively recent arrivals at the top table, however. We first entertained them in a league game as recently as three days after Christmas Day, 2015. Our table-topping team beat them 2-0 thanks to goals by Prequel Gabbi (Gabriel Paulista) and Mesut Özil.
We had only played the Cherries once before that, in October 1987 at Highbury in the league cup, then sponsored by Littlewoods, which ran football pools (google it, younger ‘holics) and was once the biggest private company in Europe. We won 3-0. Kevin Richardson, Alan Smith and Michael Thomas were our goal scorers.
This will be only our 18th game against Bournemouth. We have won 13, drawn two and lost two. The two defeats were at their gaff, in January 2018 and last October, when VAR upped a Saliba yellow to a red, leaving us over an hour to play with 10 men.
Iraola’s impact
Arteta’s teenage teammate in San Sebastián and later in Spain’s U-21 side, Andoni Iraola, has been the architect of the Cherries’ recent success. His name is now frequently linked to expected managerial vacancies at bigger clubs and Tottenham. He is currently third favourite with the gentlemen of the turf to succeed both Carlo Ancelotti in Madrid and Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. He is the fourth favourite to replace Ange, mate, at the wrong end of the Severn Sisters Road. If the football Gods smile kindly on him, he will drop to fifth favourite.
He has said that he was inspired to go into coaching by our very own Paddy Vieira, his gaffer when he was playing out the dog days of his career with New York City FC. However, one of his managers at Athletic Bilbao, where he had spent 15 years of his career, Marcelo Bielsa, most influenced his managerial style.
There is more than a touch of the tornado-like, rapid and relentless intensity that is the hallmark of a Bielsa side to Iraola’s Bournemouth. He has said, ‘I prefer too much chaos to too much control’. His teams play high-risk, high-reward football with athleticism and commitment. Attacks are direct and defence is aggressive. In his pre-match press conference, Arteta said he saw similarities with PSG.
He sets up in a 4-2-3-1 that will morph into a 4-3-3 in the build-up and a high-pressing 4-4-2 that drops back into a mid-block without the ball. Bournemouth mixes up going long and short in the build-up and in inverting the full-backs or having them go wide but high more than most teams. The wingers and the eights focus on attacking the half spaces but still fire in plenty of crosses to the far-post, relying on a relentlessly running team to create numerical overloads in the box and raw physicality to win second balls.
The opposition
Chelsea loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga will be in goal. The centre-backs in the back four will likely be the 20-year-old and much-touted Dutch-born Spanish international Dean Huijsen and Ilya Zabarnyi, who has 47 caps for Ukraine despite being only two years Huijsen’s senior. The 21-year-old Hungarian international Milos Kerkez, who is another expected to move this summer for big money, will be at left-back with veteran Leytonstone-born Adam Smith, who played up the England age group teams when he was on the neighbour’s books, defending the right flank. Smith took over the captaincy from Neto after the Brazilian joined us on loan for this season.
Tyler Adams, the US international from Wappingers Falls, New York, a delightful town in the Hudson Valley, will share the DM duties with either another of Iraola’s young proteges, the 21-year-old Channel Islander Alex Scott, who has been making his way back to fitness after a meniscus tear, or former Leeds man, Lewis Cook, another who played up through the England age group teams, but his sole full cap was seven years ago.
The attacking power, pace and potency come from the Chelsea-born Ghanaian Antoine Semenyo on the right wing, Dango Ouattara, the 23-year-old Burkina-Faso international, on the opposite flank, and Justin Kluivert, son of Patrick in the middle.
This season, Kluivert is Bournemouth’s leading goal scorer (12) and joint top assist provider with Kerkez (6). Semenyo has nine goals and five assists. Ouattara has seven goals and four assists.
Ahead of them, Brazilian centre-forward Evanilson, bought from Porto last summer for £31 million to replace the departing Dominic Solanke, has nine goals and five assists. He will be available after having the red card VAR raised from the ref’s yellow against the Red Mancs last Sunday overturned on appeal. Daniel Jebbison, who arrived from Watford in January and was capped by Canada in March, won’t now be handed his first start.
Iraola has good options elsewhere for when he needs to refresh hard-worked legs, including Wales international right winger David Brooks, midfielder Marcus Tavernier, who is another working his way back to match fitness after a foot injury, and the California-born Mexico international defender Julián Araujo.
Midfielder Luis Sinisterra is 50/50 for recovering in time from a thigh injury. Ryan Christie, who is facing surgery for a long-running groin issue, will miss the game, as will the promising Turkish striker Enes Unal, who is recovering from surgery for ligament damage.
The Arsenal
We still need eight points to be mathematically certain of second and six to guarantee Champions League football next season (although if we beat Bournemouth and Liverpool win at the Bus Stop on Sunday, fifth is the lowest we can finish). This game is sandwiched between the two legs against PSG, but I fancy Arteta will start a strong side with only slight rotation and hope to get the big guns off as early as possible in the second half.
Our long-term injury list is unchanged. Neto cannot play against his parent club. Rice is in line to play his 100th game for the club.
Thus:
Raya
Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko
Partey, Ødegaard, Rice
Saka, Merino, Martinelli
Bournemouth will be scrapping for European football, with their chances improved if Fulham lose the early game at Villa. They will also be keen to do the double over us. Yet, this is a game we should win, perhaps narrowly, and if only because Arteta can likely control his friend’s chaos better than Iraola can wreak chaos on Arteta’s control.
Equally, it is a game in which invaluable points could slip away. That could prove costly in our pursuit of second place with a trip to league champions Liverpool and a visit from third-placed Newcastle to follow. After that, all that will be left in the league is a trip to Southampton, where we’ve put sole to banana skin in the past.
So I will plump for an old-fashioned 1-0 to the Arsenal even if minds are on next Wednesday’s rescue mission in Paris.
Enjoy the game, ‘holics, near and far.
Another quite excellent preview by Ned outlining Bournemouth’s history ( and remarkable rise to their current position ). I remember the 2-0 game you refer to Ned. Ozil was quite brilliant in that game, one of his finest for us .
I think Ned’s team is very feasible . I think Benny Blanco may start and I feel Trossard or Nwaneri might also start but the team will be strong . Its a tough game to have a few days before a Chsmpions League semi and I suspect it may be a draw . CL qualification will come about as a result of Forest’s form falling off a cliff and the tough games for the team down at the Bus Stop .
Let’s hope we can summon up some momentum before PSG
Thanks Ned, your usual excellent preview although I wouldn’t mind a slightly more
spirit-raising 3-0:win. Like TTG i think we will see Benjamin and Leo and possibly even Raheem. 3 points and no injuries.
1-0 to do he Arsenal the man has said, and Lord may it be so. Thanks Ned for your excellent preview.
Blasted spillchucker failed again to chuck my spills. 1-0 to the Arsenal …
We have to win. I don’t want any of those doped clubs or Vile to overtake us.
An excellent summary of the history of our visitors, Ned and exposition of our own current challenge. I think you are correct that we will start a strong XI many of whom we will hope to rest after 60 minutes though I fear that we may not have the game done and dusted as early as we would like. There is sadly a distinct possibility that our eyes will be on Wednesday’s giant challenge and this may prove a banana skin. I’m with SP. This is a MUST WIN for the reasons he states but I too will take a 1-0. COYG.
After the conversation in the previous drinks MA brought up Max Dowman himself as one
for thé ‘near future’, I am taking near future to mean we will see him make his debut at some point next season. Something to look forward to.
Thanks Ned – another fact filled feature.
This is a tricky game to get through before the return ECL next Wednesday. I expect the cherries will come full of energy looking to do the double over us. Meanwhile with too many draws in the EPL of late our safe 2cnd spot is under threat and we could get sucked into the chasing pack if we don’t start picking up 3 points in the matches where we ought to. I expect MA8 will pick a strong a team as possible and only rest players who are in real need. A tough match expected so any winning score will do.
COYRRR
Thanks Ned – a preview of the usual high quality. White and Tierney at full back for me – although I doubt Tierney will get the nod – as he is a better defender against Bournemouth’s high roving wingers.
Any win although a performance wouldn’t go amiss – and a clean bill of health. Please.
Raya
White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly
Rice, Partey, Odegaard
Saka, Martinelli
Trossard
Bench: Setford, Tierney, Zinchenko, Clarke, Merino, Nwaneri, Butler-Oyedeji, Gower, Sterling.
Timber not MLS rested and Merino gets to put his feet up, too. Otherwise a strong starting XI as predicted.
Great goal from Rice. Presumably Bournemouth players failed to close to him as they were all so tired from having to get up after falling down untouched so often.
Raya? Jeez he got lucky there.
We need at least 2 more goals to win this.
What was I saying. Shambles of a performance. We’re looking at 4th or 5th with this league form.
PSG lose having rested nine players. Arsenal lose having rested two. Arteta has his work cut out to sort this sleepwalk to the end of the season.
Mikel does make some strange decisions with his starting eleven and his substitutions. Even though it was somewhat explicable to start with almost the first choice eleven, not bringing Ethan/KT/Zinchenko up earlier around 60th minute was a very poor decision. Especially Ethan who has been lively whenever given a chance and one of those who looks like scoring…
Hope Ødegaard’s injury isn’t too bad.
Likely end up 4th or 5th in the league if we play the last three matches this way.
Unpopular and I may even be forced to eat humble pie, but although he has improved Arsenal immeasurably I genuinely don’t think Mikel can get us over the line, he makes a lot of questionable tactical decisions and even odder substitutions.
We are over five years into the project and the only consistent thing about Arsenal is our end of season inconsistency and those fine margins he is so concerned about seem to blind him to the obvious things instead.
I desperately want to be proven wrong and that it is all down to my own perception with a depressed mindset.
DG I think his hands are tied looking at that bench. That said, last Summer’s recruitment was under whelming at the time and in hindsight a disaster. The squad is too low in numbers and therefore depth.
DG@18, it’s a fair question. My conjecture is that Mikel is still very much in the first phase of his managerial career and is on a steep learning curve. Naturally he makes mistakes especially in tactical balances or in terms of substitutions — areas where experience matters a lot. But I think he has shown the ability to evolve and grow, and learn from his mistakes, and I think eventually he will become an excellent manager.
Today he made a couple of serious mistakes in terms of starting eleven and substitutions, which I am sure will be a learning experience for him.
Arteta is angry. Timber is likely out and Ben White isn’t anywhere near ready after his injury to face PSG.
The grinding sound of a season coming to an ugly halt. An awful lot now turns on Wednesday in Paris.
Can any of the critics above please set out what they would have done differently given that we have 7, count them ,7 first team players unavailable Clearly Odegaard is still strugglhbg to recapture form after a ghastly injury as is Saka. We played a team with a week’s rest, just after we played a team on Tuesday which hasn’t played a competitive, difficult league game all season and has no injuries. We have Liverpool away and Newcastle coming up so he couldn’t afford to rest players as we needed the points. The gamble didn’t work. Who on the bench should have started over those who didn’t? Look at the starting XI, who should not have started and for whom? Arteta has a tough job where he has to work with all these questions The result not being in our favour is not the same as the analysis being incorrect.
@CER, with 7 players injured, agreed, it doesn’t give us too many options. I would have thought that Nwaneri, Tierney, & Zinchenko could have at least started. When you consider that PSG, Inter & Barca all rested at least 9 starters today, you have to think that the preparation for the season was not as good as the other semi-finalists or we’re just totally unlucky. Probably somewhere in the middle. Going to Liverpool next weekend after a possible defeat to PSG is going to be a very challenging fixture for the whole club.
Arteta has to navigate a 2nd placed position to keep criticism away.
Football is so unpredictable, maybe it’s a good omen for the PSG game. COYR’s
I agree with CER in terms of selection.
Bad result but pretty much the XI I expected
given the fixtures. A good win would have been
nice but it’s the next game that matters.
I didn’t have a problem with the selection given the circumstances that we had 3 first team players out and 4 squad players out and we need the points to secure a Champions League place. Rest is a nice to have but doesn’t guarantee results. The irony is we probably have a better chance of beating Liverpool away than we do the likes of Bournemouth and Brentford. Yesterday’s result was bad and so was the performance and there has been too many like that this season. The manager and players know that. We are still in the semi final game so hopefully we can turn it around on Wednesday.
Hi Eastside,
Personally I don’t think that Zinchenko or Tierney would have made us stronger, and that Nwaneri has hit a developmental barrier- no doubt for this season only.
Barcelona and Inter can rest 9/10 players each as they play, in PSG’s case a total of zero competitive league games per season, and in Barca’s 4-6. It is the attritional nature of playing 30 competitive league games a season, over a number of seasons, which, to my mind, is the main contributor to the injuries we have suffered. Even City, with 2 high quality players for each outfield position have dropped off this year. Liverpool have had a golden season where the stars have aligned, and good luck to them. I think we need the summer for r ‘n r for these players, resolve our injuries, move some out and some in and restart next season. None of them should be playing meaningless internationals post season.
Spot on, CER @23. Which of the subs changed the game? Would any of them have been transformed into match winners by starting? Much as he did two years ago at Wet Spam, Declan Rice is pulling this team over the line where he can but unlike the hordes of fans who couldn’t be arsed to turn up yesterday, this side has given almost everything and looked ‘done’ as the second half wore on. With a bit more luck in their finishing the game would have been won at half time. I fear that we may see a second half collapse in Paris as well.
Whose fault is it that Arteta has a bench of misfits and boys when he needs to rest the players whom we want to be fit to win in Paris – in this age of finding fault everywhere? The trainers and medical department for not ensuring through miraculous techniques that our crocks were fit enough to resist the snapped tendons, torn muscles, punctured lungs etc? Stan Kronke for not earning more money from his investments to loan to the club to ensure that we got our first choice striker last summer? Edu for having half an eye on a new job? Arteta for not being more assertive (could he be more assertive without being arrested?) to insist that the squad was too small and that we should have brought in two more forwards last summer? The legions of fans for not crowdfunding a bid for Isak? Take your pick. We are where we are. The man’s hands are tied!
The retrospectoscope has 60/60 vision and Monday Night Quarterbacks are always right.
For me, we have had desperately bad luck and been at the wrong end of some truly dreadful decisions this season and it’s to the credit of all concerned that we are actually sitting where we are at this point of the season not languishing where Manure and the Marshdwellers sit.
I did not have much issue with the starting team based on those very reasons alluded too, but I thought that tactically we were again allowing too much room and movement from the visitors, its the substitutions I took issue with, they came far too late and with the same baffling consistency he chose Sterling who has even by the fairest observers been nothing short of a disaster and if I was young Butler-Oyedeji I’d be thinking that the manager has zero faith in me when he chooses to send on Sterling even with just minutes left.
As for the injuries I do blame Mikel a little bit, he makes less substitutions then pretty much every other top six manager and we have players that the whole of refdom thinks it is OK to get physically battered game after game with little to no protection, Mikel could have protected them better by withdrawing them in games we needed too and resting them earlier in games we had sown up.
Our second half season collapses are not a new phenomenon but have been a painfully observable and to my mind avoidable sequences for four of Mikels five and a half years in charge, what exactly is it that he has learnt from each season?
He undermined Ramsdale by bringing in an obvious new first choice keeper and Ramsdale wobbled performance wise, now we hear that he is looking for a new keeper because of those fine margins and Raya has demonstrably wobbled too, the second goal went in off of him whereas in the first half of the season I think it would have been a confident save.
We’ve gained just nine points from the last eighteen, I cannot recall too many of those games being blighted by those same Arsenal only decisions that blighted our first half of the season, I still desperately hope to be proven wrong and we come out all guns blazing and risen from the ashes to totally destroy or even creep past PSG and then wipe out Barcelona for the final sweet victory, you have no idea how much I hope I am wrong and that Mikel is not already too entrenched in his own mindset that nothing is wrong with the way he organises anything and that is it always something or somebody else to blame.
>>>>>>>>