Things are looking up for Arsenal having taken six points from two games in the Premier League since the damaging loss to Manchester City and a place in the top four currently secure.
Moreover, they recovered from a first-leg defeat to ease past BATE Borisov in the last 32 of the Europa League last week.
Unai Emery’s side were impressive in the way they dispatched Southampton on Sunday and the coach will be looking for more of the same when Bournemouth visit the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
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Only Manchester City have done better than Arsenal have at home this season, with the Gunners winning all but three games so far and the less said about Bournemouth’s away form the better.
Eddie Howe’s team have lost eight on the spin away from the Vitality Stadium since beating Fulham in October. And they will be facing Arsenal without a host of first teamers.
Arsenal Injuries
Stephan Lichtsteiner (back) and Alex Iwobi (ankle) were both replaced in the second half against Southampton but will be assessed before a decision is made on their participation against Bournemouth.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles has missed a couple of games through illness but Emery is confident he should be able to take part. Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck are long-term casualties.
Arsenal Suspensions
Arsenal have no players suspended for this match. Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma was given his 10th booking of the season at the weekend against Wolves and as such is banned for this fixture and the next.
Arsenal Potential Starting Line-Up
Unai Emery opted to keep Matteo Guendouzi and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench for the game against Southampton on Sunday but both could well come back in from the start.
If he starts with three at the back – as he has done for home games against Tottenham, Huddersfield and Fulham – then don’t expect Mesut Ozil to feature. That system is not designed for the German.
Lichtsteiner and Iwobi both had to come off in the game against Southampton but could be fit enough to return to the fold.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has started the last four and is in good form. With Tottenham looming at the weekend, this could well be Denis Suarez’s best opportunity to start a Premier League game.
Maitland-Niles could push for a start, too, having missed the last two due to illness.
Bournemouth Team News
Eddie Howe is struggling under the weight of an injury crisis. Steve Cook (groin) and Junior Stanislas (thigh) are confirmed out while Callum Wilson (knee) and David Brooks (ankle) will again be absent. They all join long-term injury victims Lewis Cook and Simon Francis on the sidelines. Lerma is serving his suspension.
Opta Match Facts
Arsenal have won all four of their home meetings with Bournemouth in all competitions by an aggregate score of 11-1. Bournemouth have won just one of their eight meetings in all competitions with Arsenal (D1 L6), beating them 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium last season. Only Manchester City (39) have won more home Premier League points this season than Arsenal (35 – W11 D2 L1). Bournemouth have lost each of their last eight away Premier League games, conceding at least two goals each time. The only sides to lose more on the road in a row while conceding at least twice in the competition are Wimbledon (10 between December 1999-May 2000) and Ipswich (11 between January 1995-September 2000). English managers have collected just one point in their last 16 Premier League visits to the Emirates against Arsenal (P16 W0 D1 L15) since Garry Monk led Swansea City to a 1-0 win in May 2015. Bournemouth haven’t lost nine consecutive away league matches since losing 12 in a row between December 1933 and August 1934 in the Third Division South. Only Man City striker Sergio Aguero (8) has scored more Premier League goals during 2019 than Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette (5). Since the start of last season, Bournemouth have lost seven of their eight away Premier League matches when Callum Wilson hasn’t featured (W1 D0 L7), failing to score in six of those matches. Alexandre Lacazette has been involved in 29 goals in 37 appearances at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal in all competitions (23 goals, 6 assists). Josh King has been involved in five goals in his last five Premier League games for Bournemouth (4 goals, 1 assist).
TV Coverage & Kick-Off Time
Kick-off is 7:45pm GMT (2:45pm ET) on Wednesday February 27, and will not be televised on the United Kingdom. It will be shown on NBC Sports Gold in the United States.