Na big Premier League match we dey yarn about for Emirates Stadium dis Saturday afternoon. Arsenal wey dey top of table go host Bournemouth wey dey on unbeaten run. The Gunners dey lead with nine points clear, but dem no fit afford to slip up now.
Bournemouth sef no be small team to play with. Dem don dey unbeaten for eleven straight Premier League matches. Even though dem draw five of those games, na still record wey dem wan break. If dem manage to avoid defeat again, na history dem go make for dia club.
For Arsenal side, Mikel Arteta get some injury wahala to manage. Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber dey doubtful for dis match. Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze, and Mikel Merino dey completely out. But Kai Havertz wey score late winner against Sporting CP for Champions League fit start again.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola talk say Junior Kroupi and Alex Jimenez don recover from small injuries wey dem carry from international break. But Justin Kluivert and Lewis Cook still dey injured. Tyler Adams and Eli Junior Kroupi dey doubtful but fit still play.
The match go start by 12:30pm for UK time. Na TNT Sports 1 go show am live. For streaming, you fit watch via Discovery+ if you get TNT Sports subscription. Even Amazon Prime Video get am too.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya go dey between the sticks. The Spanish keeper don keep 64 clean sheets for his career. For Bournemouth side, Dorde Petrovic go dey in goal. The Serbian don face 392 shots for his career.
Viktor Gyokeres na the main man wey Arsenal dey depend on for goals. The Swedish striker don score 155 goals for his career. For Bournemouth, Evanilson na the danger man. The Brazilian forward don net 65 goals so far.
Last season, Bournemouth do double over Arsenal. But for dis season reverse fixture, Arsenal win 3-2. So both teams sabi each other style well well.
Andoni Iraola talk say him go need to make difficult decisions for dis match because more than twenty players dey ready to travel. Him say dem go need something special to beat Arsenal wey dey top of league.
The Bournemouth manager even travel go watch Arsenal play FA Cup match against Southampton. Him say watching match live give am better information than watching for TV. Him expect the best Arsenal to show up.
For team news, Arsenal probable lineup na Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Havertz, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli. For Bournemouth, dem fit line up as Petrovic; Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Christie, Scott; Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson.
Gabriel Martinelli need to show better performance for dis match. The Brazilian winger get pace wey fit trouble Bournemouth defense wey like to defend with high line. If Saka no fit play, Madueke fit take his place.
Arsenal don win dia last four Premier League matches. But dem just suffer two cup defeats to Manchester City for EFL Cup final and Southampton for FA Cup. The win against Sporting CP for Champions League don bring back small confidence.
Bournemouth dey 13th for table but only four points behind seventh-placed Brentford. So European qualification still dey possible for dem. Win against Arsenal go be massive boost for dia hopes.
The Emirates Stadium fit hold around 60,704 people. Since dem open the stadium for 2006, Arsenal don host Bournemouth there eight times. Arsenal win seven of those meetings but Bournemouth beat dem 2-1 last season.
For stats, Arsenal don concede only 22 goals dis season with 15 clean sheets. Bournemouth don concede 48 goals with 9 clean sheets. The Gunners get better defensive record but Bournemouth attack fit still cause problems.
Eli Junior Kroupi don score nine Premier League goals dis season. If he score again, he fit become first teenager since Robbie Keane for 1999/00 season to reach ten goals for his first Premier League season.
The match na lunchtime kickoff wey go set tone for the rest of Premier League weekend. Arsenal need win to maintain dia lead before dem travel to face Manchester City next week. Pressure dey but dem get quality to handle am.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
