THERE are decisions for AFC Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola to take all over the pitch when Cherries travel to Arsenal this afternoon (12.30pm), but who starts?
Still impacted by injury and suspension, as always Iraola will be informing his players of the starting XI just hours before the game, but we’ve had a go at predicting the team hoping to halt the Gunners’ title charge.
Goalkeeper
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Travers v Neto - do Cherries have a fight for their number one spot on their hands?
Mark Travers has two clean sheets from two appearances after being restored to the starting goalkeeping berth after almost two seasons as Neto’s understudy, but it remains uncertain how long the Irish keeper will continue in the first-team line up.
Neto’s experience could convince head coach Iraola to start the Brazilian at the Emirates, and we feel that is likely to be the case, despite Travers’ solid performances in recent weeks.
Defence
Illia Zabarnyi was cruelly robbed of the chance to become one of a very select few to have played every single minute in a Premier League campaign last time out, the Ukrainian defender ruled out by fever at the last minute.
However ‘Zaba’ is back fit and available for tomorrow’s trip to the Emirates, where he will likely partner Marcos Senesi at centre-half.
That enables Lloyd Kelly to move back to left-back, with the defender Cherries’ only natural option at the position as Milos Kerkez serves the second game of his three-match ban.
The veteran Adam Smith will likely continued to be preferred over Max Aarons at right-back.
Wingers
Kelly’s aforementioned move to left-back will free up Dango Ouattara to play further forward if required.
After a few weeks of barebones on the wing, Iraola now has Antoine Semenyo and Romain Faivre back available.
Of course, Semenyo played the majority of the win over Brighton last time out, but there were doubts over his availability for the rest of this season after he was stretched off in stoppage time, let alone whether he could be fit enough to face Arsenal.
With just three games remaining in Cherries’ season, it makes sense for pre-caution to be taken with Semenyo.
As such, we are predicting that Ouattara will start on the wing opposite Justin Kluivert.
Midfielders and striker
Kluivert’s inclusion on the wing could potentially see Alex Scott moved back to the number 10 role.
The Guernsey-born midfielder started further back against Brighton, with Iraola opting for two strikers against the Seagulls.
That being said, Dominic Solanke definitely played lower than Enes Unal, who led the line, and it feels unlikely to see the experiment repeated this afternoon.
With Solanke resorted to the number nine role, we feel it is likely that Scott will slot in the hole behind.
Deeper back in the engine room of Cherries’ midfield, it feels impossible to look beyond Ryan Christie and Lewis Cook.
The pair have formed the axis of Cherries’ resurgence in form, and after Christie was rested last weekend, Bournemouth will hope both are at their best at the Emirates.
Predicted XI: Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kelly; Cook, Christie, Scott; Ouattara, Kluivert, Solanke.
Who do you think should start? Let us know in the comments below:
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