AFC Bournemouth
Arsenal head to Vitality Stadium on Boxing Day, with Mikel Arteta appointed the club’s head coach in the last week.
He’ll be in the dugout for the first time after watching his side play out a goalless draw with Everton on Saturday.
As for the Cherries, they’ll be looking to bounce back after a 1-0 defeat to Burnley last time out. That came after a superb victory on the road at Stamford Bridge, Dan Gosling getting the only goal of the game.
Ahead of the Boxing Day clash with the Gunners, we spoke to Simon Collings from the Evening Standard to get a special insight.
afcb.co.uk: Mikel Arteta has been appointed head coach of Arsenal in the last week. How has that gone down with fans?
SC: “I think it’s gone down pretty well in the end because anyone that was there for Unai Emery’s last game against Frankfurt realised that a degree of apathy had perhaps set in as I think supporters had lost the connection with the club and people were starting to not care.
“Freddie Ljungberg came in and credit to him, he had a limited amount of time and a limited number of training sessions, and he steadied the ship to a degree.
“They’ve taken a risk brining in Mikael Arteta, but they’re at that point where they need to take that risk. Initially, when he was appointed, fans were a bit divided but I think people who watched his first press conference back saw that he has a clear vision of how he wants to play football.
“Now I think supporters are excited and open to the prospect of giving someone young and exciting a chance – Bournemouth fans know what that’s like. I think they’re excited now which they haven’t been for a few months.”
afcb.co.uk: Who has stood out for Arsenal in the first half of the season?
SC: “Having said that, I think if you ask any fan, the one positive has been Gabriel Martinelli. He is 18 years old, has come over from Brazil and was playing in the fourth tier of Brazilian football. Arsenal plucked him out of it.
“I think a lot of people thought he would be a Europa league or Carabao Cup player, but he got another start on the weekend and he has put himself to be perhaps one that should be starting every week.
“He’s got about seven goals this season. I think he epitomises what we expect to see from Arteta – lots of energy, lots of work rate off the ball and he is someone that fans have really taken to.”
afcb.co.uk: In terms of the youngsters, is there anyone who has made a real impact?
SC: “A lot of those youngsters, the likes of Joe Willock and Bukayo Saka, stood out at the start of the season.
“Ainsley Maitland-Niles has had a tough time recently but he’s come back in towards the back of Ljundberg’s interim at right-back and looked really impressive.
“Reiss Nelson has played his first 90 minutes of the season on the weekend has looked good, but Saka is probably the one out of all those youngsters. He played left-back against Everton as Arsenal are short there and he could quite possibly play against Bournemouth. As an 18-year-old kid to do that is impressive.”
afcb.co.uk: How can you see the game on Boxing Day panning out?
SC: There were some people complaining that Arteta didn’t take the Everton game, but he would’ve had no training sessions or no time. They’ve had four or five sessions now I think Bournemouth is the type of game that he and Arsenal will like because Eddie Howe likes to get his team playing football.
But I think it will be quite an open game and I think it might suit Arsenal. If we get any indication from Arteta, he will like to play a possession-based game but I think it will be an open game and one which fans will enjoy.
