“Bournemouth are no mugs, and Iraola is a top coach.” (opinion)

Ahead of today’s match versus AFC Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League, I’ve looked at our forum, Arsenal Talk, to see what supporters are saying ahead of the game.

You can have your say on today’s match on the forum here. The match is live at 12:30 on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate and the referee is David Coote.

freeglennhelder2: “One slip, one off day, one opposition wonder goal and it’s good night.

3 points will do, by any means necessary. Playing well or increasing GD would be a welcome bonus but is a distant second in priority. Prefer away games, to be honest.”

Gunners1616: “Too many people are focusing on City’s run-in but the next 3 games for us are not guaranteed whatsoever.

Hope the staff and the players remain focused on Bournemouth.

Same lineup, no messing around.”

sakalacaxhaka: “Same team vs Sp**s, and I think a convincing result after a week’s rest, will be good to see timber on the bench hopefully. I have a feeling Zinchenko might play as Arteta likes him in games where we’ll dominate the ball, I really hope he doesn’t, as much as I love him, he creates so much nervousness in the crowd which gets to the players

Bournemouth are a very good team, but they are fairly open out of possession, and with the way we’re attacking I can see us extending our goal difference

If we were at the top without the game more right now, I’d worry about us cracking under the pressure, but our focus is solely on putting City under pressure and I have every confidence Arteta will get the boys to do it

Whether it’s enough or not for the end result in the league, who knows but got to believe!!!”

SA Gunner: “I’m worried about this one.

Bournemouth are no mugs, and Iraola is a top coach. I see holes in our pressing structure that they can exploit, and that need attention over the summer (tactics and possibly personnel). But I think our structure is good enough to disrupt and severely pressurise their back line more than them being able to break through.

We need the usual here, pressure cook them in the first half and look to put the game away. We can then sit off them and manage the game to its completion, hopefully, with a clean sheet.

It’s a pity we aren’t in the CL anymore because the way we are playing leans a lot towards efficiency in our play and with our energy levels. I like this structure and I’m excited to see how we develop it further.

Anyway, for now… Arsenal 2-0 Bournemouth”