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Predicted XI: Bournemouth vs Arsenal

On the back of the great performance against Crystal Palace, Arsenal now have two wins in a row and they’ll be looking to make it three against Bournemouth on Tuesday, but it might not be as easy as it sounds.

Bournemouth will be coming up against Arsenal following a very impressive and dominant 3-0 win over Swansea. Bournemouth currently sit 9th in the Premier League and will look to pick up some crucial points, as Southampton and Burnley are breathing down their necks.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are entering a period of games where you’d expect the Gunners to pick up maximum points and push their way back into title contention. Wenger’s men need to put a string of wins together to keep up with the seemingly unstoppable League leaders, Chelsea. So let’s have a look at the team who could face Bournemouth. 

GK: Petr Cech

Cech wasn’t called upon until the end of the second half,  but when it mattered he showed up with a few outstanding saves. Ultimately he kept us in the game during a very crucial time. With his great performance and now two consecutive clean sheets, the 34-year-old is nailed on for a start.

RB: Hector Bellerin

The young Spaniard combined really well with Lucas Perez on that right-hand side and caused problems for the Palace back line. He provides us with essential pace, penetration and is solid in defence cover. With Debuchy out with an injury and Jenkinson looking shaky at times, one of Arsenal’s most consistent defenders is sure to keep his place.

CB: Shkodran Mustafi

Mustafi has been showing his worth this season and has been an outstanding partner to Koscielny. With him still unbeaten at the club, and us getting back to back losses right after his injury,  it’s vital he returns to the team. He was confirmed to be back in full training last weekend and was on the bench against Palace, although he didn’t make an appearance,  he’s assumed to be fully fit now. He gets the start.

CB: Laurent Koscielny

With another great performance against Crystal Palace,  Arsenals vice captain is one of the best and most consistent defenders at the club, if not the League. With him being compared to the like of Tony Adams it’s clear Arsenal fans think very highly of him. He keeps his place on the team because at the moment he’s simply undroppable.

LB: Nacho Monreal

Monreal has been extremely consistent the last few seasons. With him continuing his form this year,  Gibbs still remains behind him. The Spaniard provided good defensive cover and dangerous overlapping runs, which caused havoc in the Crystal Palace penalty box throughout the 90 minutes. Considering Gibbs is still out injured,  he keeps his place in the starting lineup.

CDM: Granit Xhaka

The £35 million man has gotten better and better with every game. At the start of the season, fans were crying out for him to start, even though he had a few issues with his discipline, however now that he is starting, he’s doing wonders. With an excellent eye for a pass and a huge defensive contribution, he looks like he could keep his place against Bournemouth.

CDM: Aaron Ramsey

Aaron Ramsey has returned to full fitness and he’ll be eager to get back on the pitch. We’ve all seen what he is capable of,  now he just needs an extended run in the team. With Mohammad Elneny gone for the Africa Cup of Nations and Francis Coquelin in need of an extended rest, Ramsey should be brought back into the team.

RW: Lucas Perez

We saw him start against Palace, and he ran the most out of all the players in the 74 minutes he was on. Not only does Perez work hard but he also has the potential to chip in with a fair amount of goals too. With great off the ball movement and good finishing, there’s no reason for him to be left out again, especially considering Theo Walcott is still out, Perez should keep his place.

CAM: Mesut Özil

The German world cup winner was out with the flu against Crystal Palace but will likely return. Özil is currently our third highest goal scorer this season and has picked up six assists as well. Fans have often suggested he doesn’t work hard enough but the fact that he can give us that moment of brilliance in a game should be enough for him to be in the team.

LW: Alexis Sanchez

There’s absolutely no reason why this man should be dropped. With an unreal work rate and an eye for goal, he’s become our highest goal scorer this season. We saw him start through the middle behind Giroud against Palace and he was involved in both goals. Let’s hope he comes back in against Bournemouth and gets back on the score sheet.

ST: Oliver Giroud

Giroud has time and time again proved his critics wrong. At the start of the season he was limited to substitute appearances,  but even then he proved he could make an impact. He’s now got seven goals in his last six starts for the club and with an outstanding scorpion kick goal against Palace he keeps his place upfront.

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