Arsenal don't need too much extra motivation going into their Premier League clash with Bournemouth, but the fact that they play after rivals Manchester City for the first time since the two met just over a couple of weeks ago could provide an extra carrot. Mikel Arteta's side was willing to admit that his side would be watching City' game unfold in the build up to their own game this weekend.
"We are looking at the games for sure when they’re live before that," the Spaniard said in his pre-match press conference. "It can become a stimulus. But I don’t think there’s need for extra motivation. We know the difficulty of the challenge, we are looking forward to it, and we go game, by game."
The Gunners will go into the game knowing whether they have the chance to open up an eight point gap at the top of the table, or whether they will simply be trying to preserve the five point lead they already have. Regardless of the circumstances, it's vital for Arteta to get his team selection right.
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That will begin between the sticks where Aaron Ramsdale who's superb last gasp double save, secured his 11th clean sheet in just 25 matches. Only Nick Pope has more than Ramsdale this season and against his former club he'll be targeting another shutout.
That will hopefully be helped by the in form partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba in front of him. The pair could have another quiet day, but their ability to stay focused against low block opposition is part of why they've been so good this season.
Oleksandr Zinchenko meanwhile is also very useful against packed defences but in a very different way. The Ukraine international provided a lock picking pass to break the game open against Everton and will be hoping to showcase some of his very best passing skills against the Cherries. Ben White will most likely continue on the other side of defence.
In midfield we could see Thomas Partey return to the starting XI for the first time in four matches. It speaks volumes that the Ghanaian's absence hasn't been as keenly felt as it undoubtedly would have been before Jorginho's arrival, but even though the Italian is fit for this game, Partey reminded us just how good a player he is with a second half cameo against Everton and feels like a dead cert to start this game.
In front of him Martin Odegaard will obviously play, but the left side of midfield isn't quite so nailed on. Granit Xhaka looked to be getting a touch frustrated with how things were going against Everton and you wonder if a little spell out of the team might do him good just to get him up and running to the standards he set earlier in the campaign. With Sporting CP coming up in the Europa League this week though it seems highly likely that Fabio Vieira will come into the side for that match, giving the Swiss international a well-earned rest.
Someone who has benefitted from some time out is Gabriel Martinelli who is back firing with four goals in three matches after being taken out of the starting XI against Aston Villa. He has been revitalised by the decision to move Leandro Trossard through the middle, which seems set to be an experiment that continues on Saturday, with Eddie Nketiah struggling with an ankle knock. Completing the side will be Bukayo Saka who will be looking to make it four goals in just five games.
Arsenal predicted XI vs Bournemouth - Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
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