Arsenal FC travel to AFC Bournemouth on Sunday with some serious worries about the fitness level in the final third. players in attack. Forward Danny Welbeck is on the shelf long term after needing surgery to repair a broken ankle.
Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tweeted that he is “trying to get fit” in time for the weekend match after not being able to feature for Gabon this international break due to a back issue.
Trying to get fit ASAP ???????? pic.twitter.com/O140yNGA5r
— AUBA?? (@Auba) November 21, 2018
The good news is that he’s training, and also doing some break-dancing. Watch the video below and and then ask yourself-
how injured can he really be if he’s doing stuff like this?
End of the international break got us feeling like…
? @Aubameyang7 pic.twitter.com/PvMGYS1AHd
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 21, 2018
His strike partner Alexandre Lacazette also did not feature for his country during this set of internationals. It was a groin injury that kept him out of action for France. Of course, he was in full training with the team yesterday, so I wouldn’t be too worried about his availability if I were a Gunners supporter.
Arsenal head into this match winners of just one in their last five, but also unbeaten in their last 16 across all competitions. Manager Unai Emery assumed control of the club in May after long time boss Arsene Wenger stepped down. The Frenchman was on the job for 22 years, and Emery said that when he took the reigns of the team he had to shake things up.
“I met once with him, and little else,” Emery said.
“I respect him a lot but no matter how much info he gave me, I had to change things. I told the players, ‘We started at kilometer zero.’ Even now, four months later, I still say it, ‘We are in the beginning.”
Emery believes that he has made some major impact in just a short time.
“Over time, only technical quality and offensive freedom were taken care of, and the team lost the defensive structure,” the Spaniard said.
“What I want is to unite both essences and be more competitive. The Arsenal was in decline. We had to stop it and start climbing.”
Arsenal FC vs AFC Bournemouth FYIs
Kickoff: 2:30 pm local, Vitality Stadium, Sunday Nov 25
Odds via Oddschecker: AFC Bournemouth 27/10, Draw 31/10, Arsenal 21/20
Manager Press Conference Videos and Quotes: coming tomorrow
Arsenal FC Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Score Prediction: Arsenal 2, Bournemouth 1
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Lineups.com and Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.