By Bulldog Drummond
So it is Mr Arteta’s first game as complete manager – his first pick of a team. And he comes to the game knowing that our away form is indeed modest, with the draw being the favoured result of the team…
Away games only
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 22 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 11 | 14 | 19 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 18 |
| 4 | Leicester City | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 9 | 13 | 16 |
| 5 | Sheffield United | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 15 |
| 6 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 14 |
| 7 | West Ham United | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 12 |
| 8 | Southampton | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 11 |
| 9 | Crystal Palace | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 11 |
| 10 | AFC Bournemouth | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 10 |
| 11 | Arsenal | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 10 |
Bournemouth at home are however in more difficulty than we are away – although only just.
Home games only
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 12 |
| 15 | Aston Villa | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 14 | -2 | 11 |
| 16 | AFC Bournemouth | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 9 |
| 17 | West Ham United | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 17 | -6 | 7 |
| 18 | Watford | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 7 |
| 19 | Norwich City | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 22 | -8 | 7 |
| 20 | Southampton | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 24 | -15 | 7 |
But truthfully the difference between their home form and our away form only comes down to a couple of goals, and it could well be that both sides will expect a draw.
However, the Arsenal forward line really ought to be able to concoct more goals than it is managing at the moment. If the league were measured just by goals scored we would be eighth having scored fewer than half the number of goals Manchester City (at the top of the scoring table) have scored.
Since late September Bournemouth have won just two games:
| Date | Game | Res |
Score | Competition |
| 25 Sep 2019 | Burton Albion v AFC Bournemouth | L | 2-0 | League Cup |
| 28 Sep 2019 | AFC Bournemouth v West Ham United | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
| 06 Oct 2019 | Arsenal v AFC Bournemouth | L | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 19 Oct 2019 | AFC Bournemouth v Norwich City | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 26 Oct 2019 | Watford v AFC Bournemouth | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 02 Nov 2019 | AFC Bournemouth v Manchester United | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 09 Nov 2019 | Newcastle United v AFC Bournemouth | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 23 Nov 2019 | AFC Bournemouth v Wolverhampton W | L | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 30 Nov 2019 | Tottenham Hotspur v AFC Bournemouth | L | 3-2 | Premier League |
| 03 Dec 2019 | Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth | L | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 07 Dec 2019 | AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool | L | 0-3 | Premier League |
| 14 Dec 2019 | Chelsea v AFC Bournemouth | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 21 Dec 2019 | AFC Bournemouth v Burnley | L | 0-1 | Premier League |
But what is interesting is who those games were against: Manchester United and Chelsea. But that does make it one win in the last seven, so it is still something of a poor run. Indeed one might have expected that after the Chelsea game Bournemouth would thump Burnley, who like Arsenal have scored only 10 away goals. But no, Burnley won.
Arsenal are however top of one League – that for yellow cards…
| Position | Club | Yellow cards |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arsenal | 41 |
| 2. | Sheffield United | 39 |
| 3. | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 |
| 4. | Watford | 38 |
| 5. | Manchester City | 37 |
| 6. | Manchester United | 36 |
| 7. | AFC Bournemouth | 35 |
Both clubs have accumulated one red card. (Tottenham are top of the red card league with 3).
Which is all rather odd since what Bournemouth don’t do is make tackles – they have made the lowest number of tackles of any club in the Premier League with just 239 tackles all season. Arsenal are on 303 so far and top of the tackling league are Leicester on 365. Leicester however have only 19 yellow cards this season – the only team with fewer is Liverpool with 18.
Which raises an interesting issue – are Leicester and Liverpool near or at the top of the league because they don’t commit any fouls, or because they have each found a way to commit fouls without getting yellow cards?
And on that interesting question I shall leave matters for the moment.
Happy Christmas all, particularly Tony for all you’re fantastic hard work.
Season’s greetings.
I’ve been hoping to see a news article, that all the PGMO are sick from food poisoning. So far, I am not seeing this “present” in the “news”.
🙂
Gord,
Thats because theyve all gone on a jolly up with their guide dogs.
Cant wait for their new reality show
“Stranded on Tristan da Cunha “
All things being equal with Arsenal in the PL tomorrow in starting XI team and 7 man Gunners on the bench making for match by Mikel Arteta, the new Arsenal head coach and his able assistant in Freddie Ljungberg who by putting their 2 heads together to form a formidable partnership in team squad coaching and starting XI team and 7 players substitutes selection making, will without mincing in any words beat Bournemouth at home resoundingly well in the PL match encounter that will take place between the duo club sides in my honest take for Arsenal in the match.
But will Nicholas Pepe be tried to start the match for Arsenal as a centerforward while Auba’ and Laca’ play to his left and right as converted wingers. And the have divided opinions among AFC fans Mesut Ozil playing behind as creator but if Ljungberg will not block him. Them with 2 attacking defensive midfielders of Willock and Xhaka spreading behind Ozil to play and in front of Torreria who will shied the back-four of: Bellerin Luiz Chambers and Saka who will deputise for Tierney and Kolasinac who are sidelined for Arsenal. But who will cover for Saka at RB? And of course Leno will tender in goal for Arsenal in the match.
This are my own takes for Arsenal against AFC 8ournemouth which doesn’t have to be Arteta and Ljungberg takes in the match for Arsenal. But whatever are their individual and collective takes in the match for Arsenal, let the duo Arsenal coaches take their takes in the match for Arsenal to beat Bournemouth and come away with all the 3 points at stake in the match to the Emirates Stadium to benefit Arsenal.
Am hoping for a better and improved showing from our team. Hope the play with more urgency , guile and pride , to make us all proud.
Don’t allow the idiot in black to dictate the game.