Mikel Arteta to make 3 big changes vs Bournemouth as £6m Arsenal ace starts

Arsenal return to Premier League action with an early kick-off against Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.

The Gunners returned to winning ways in midweek with a 1-0 victory over Sporting CP in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on the road.

Kai Havertz scored a 91st-minute winner for the Gunners coming off the bench.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are currently nine points ahead of second-placed Manchester City in the league, but Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand.

The Gunners can extend the gap to 12 before the Cityzens face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tomorrow.

Ahead of today’s game, manager Mikel Arteta could make at least three changes to the XI.

Piero Hincapie returns

Riccardo Calafiori played the full 90 minutes against Sporting CP at left-back. The Italian was absent from training yesterday. We believe he was left out due to load management rather than a niggle.

Piero Hincapie was recently sidelined with a minor hamstring injury on international duty, but his presence in training suggests that he could be reinstated into the XI at left-back ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Lewis-Skelly has been the third-choice left-back in the Premier League. Calafiori could be kept afresh to face Sporting CP in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

Kai Havertz in midfield

Martin Odegaard sustained a fresh knock to his knee during the recent trip to Lisbon. Norway manager Stale Solbakken personally confirmed the worrying news, and the playmaker may not be risked from the starting line-up.

Hence, we expect a change in the attacking midfield department. Eberechi Eze has returned to full training after his calf injury in mid-March. However, the extended lay-off means he may not make the first XI straightaway.

Kai Havertz looks likely to feature as the number 10 with Viktor Gyokeres upfront. The German could also play two up top alongside the Swede when required. He looks poised to return to the starting XI after his late winner in Lisbon.

Gabriel Martinelli starts

Leandro Trossard was picked to start on the left wing against the Portuguese champions on Tuesday night. The Belgium international has not scored in his last 18 matches. His struggles continued with another underwhelming display at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

Gabriel Martinelli had a lively outing coming off the bench. The Brazilian produced a sublime pass cutting inside from the left wing for Havertz to break the deadlock in the 91st minute. The £6 million signing should be rewarded with a starting role after his 17th goal contribution of the season.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

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