Arsenal need a win in a bad way right now, with the three teams ahead of them in the Premier League table threatening to start pulling away and with their own form suffering slightly of late. But to get that win they need to beat an AFC Bournemouth team that’s quietly climbed the table over the last two months, and that means Arsenal need to be better than we’ve seen from them lately.
Arsenal vs. Bournemouth 2016: Time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
Bournemouth are trying to claw their way up the table, but Arsenal need to get a win and keep pace with the league leaders.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
After a stumble that’s seen Arsenal go winless in three, it’s time for them to reset and refocus themselves. The Cherries may not be seen as a major threat for them, but they’re better than their reputation, and with how the Gunners have been so scattered and unorganized of late, Bournemouth have every chance of coming away with an upset result here, especially with how opportunistically they play.
TV: CNBC (U.S. - English), Telemundo (U.S. - Spanish),
Online: NBC Sports Live (U.S.), Sky Go (U.K.)
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 9:15 a.m. ET, 2:15 p.m. local
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, England
Three big things to know
- Arsenal’s form doesn’t look too bad when you look at the results — a trio of draws to Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur are hardly the end of the world — but when you look at how they’ve played in those matches things get a bit more concerning. They’ve been weak in midfield, unorganized in defense, and woefully inconsistent in the final third, and it’s the kind of form that can easily turn from a “bump” to a “tailspin” in a big hurry.
- Bournemouth, meanwhile, have looked very solid over the last couple of months, despite two losses in their last three matches. Eddie Howe has inspired his team to a slow climb up the EPL table, standing in ninth place coming into the match. A win over the Gunners would be massive for their confidence and form, and even a draw would be a big boost for them, with the added benefit of hurting Arsenal’s standing serving as a little bit of added incentive.
- If Arsenal are going to start playing as well as they’re capable of, the first thing they need to do is start making better use of Granit Xhaka. The Swiss international was a major signing this summer who hasn’t gotten as much time on the pitch as his performances have deserved. His calm presence on the ball and strong work rate, not to mention excellent positioning, would be a massive improvement on the struggles the Gunners have endured of late.
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