Bournemouth vs Arsenal preview: What time does it start, what TV channel is it on and where can I watch it?
A look ahead to the Premier League fixture at Dean Court
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal travel to the south coast to face Bournemouth for the second time this season, looking to jump back into third place in the Premier League.
Victory for Manchester City saw them jump ahead of Arsene Wenger’s side while United’s victory saw them close to within a point of the Gunners prior to kick off at the Vitality Stadium.
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It’s a big game for…
Alexis Sanchez: The tricky Chilean is Arsenal’s most influential player, and against an entertaining Bournemouth side, the Gunners will need him to be at his best. Since Arsenal’s 5-1 demolition of West Ham at the beginning of the month, Sanchez has only netted a solitary goal, in a 2-1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park.
Best stat…
0: Bournemouth have faced Arsenal four times in their history and have failed to pick up a win, losing all four.
Remember when…
Arsenal have already faced Bournemouth this season as the Gunners recorded a 3-1 home victory. Sanchez capitalised on a defensive mistake to put them 1-0 up before Callum Wilson netted a penalty to level the terms. Second half goals from Theo Walcott and Sanchez sealed the win for the hosts.
Player to watch…
Benik Afobe: The former Wolves striker is a live wire in the box and Arsenal’s centre-backs will have to frustrate himto keep him quiet. Afobe has bagged two goals in his last five Premier League games, one being last time out in the 3-0 win away at Swansea, and the 23-year-old will want to build on that here against Arsenal.
Past three meetings…
Arsenal 3 (Sanchez 2, Walcott) Bournemouth 1 (Wilson), Premier League, November 2016
Bournemouth 0 Arsenal 2 (Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain), Premier League, February 2016]
Arsenal 2 (Gabriel, Ozil) Bournemouth 0, Premier League, December 2015
Form guide…
BOURNEMOUTH: WLWLLW
ARSENAL: WWLLWW
Vital information…
KICK-OFF: 19:45, Tuesday 3rd January 2017
TV: Sky Sports 1
Odds…
BOURNEMOUTH TO WIN: 15/4
ARSENAL TO WIN: 5/6
DRAW: 29/10
(Odds provided by Betfair)
58 mins: GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 3 ARSENAL 0:
It's three now! Hector Bellerin's miserable evening continues as Ryan Fraser bundles him off the ball - perhaps unfairly - before steering a shot around Petr Cech and into the far corner. The busy Scot had raced on to a Charlie Daniels delivery down the touchline and nudged his opponent in the back to score, but such has been his endeavour tonight, he was due some good fortune.
61 mins: The home supporters are loving this now, and who can blame them? Lapping up every touch and successful pass, these fans feel that their team can score on every occasion they pour forward. Most recently it has been the excellent pair of Stanislas and Fraser that have troubled Petr Cech and co. This will go down as a famous night in the history of the south coast club.
At the other end, Alexis Sanchez goes close with a shot that's deflected wide of the near post, but it doesn't matter now. The game is up for Arsenal.
49 mins: GOAL! STOKE 2 WATFORD 0:
It's turning into another 2017 horror show for Watford as Peter Crouch makes it two for Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. Once again, it was a Charlie Adams cross into the box that the visitors failed to deal with, and that allowed the ball to clatter into the spindly legs of the veteran striker, deceiving Heurelho Gomes at his near post. Two goals and three points for Stoke.
67 mins: Ryan Fraser's work is done for the night. Having taken a heavy knock moments ago, the former Aberdeen player will sit out the final 23 minutes and allow Adam Smith a chance to revel on this glorious night for Bournemouth.
It's the most recent of a flurry of substitutions that has also seen Andrew Surman, Gabriel and Lucas Perez make an entrance into the game with Josh King, Laurent Koscielny and Alex Iwobi heading off.
70 mins: GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 3 ARSENAL 1:
Perhaps we should hold fire with the south coast superlatives for now because Alexis Sanchez has brought Arsenal back into the match. The Chilean followed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's right-wing cross into the box to head in at the far post after Olivier Giroud had flicked the delivery on. Consolation or the start of something special?
75 mins: GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 3 ARSENAL 2:
Game on! Lucas Perez gets Arsenal's second with a wonderful finish! As with all things Arsenal it started with Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean bringing the ball forward. His pass was moved on by Granit Xhaka to Oliver Giroud, who in turn flicked the ball up over the Bournemouth defence. The angle on the left was against Perez, but the Spaniard reacted to the dropping ball with a brilliant volley that flew across Artur Boruc and into the far corner. What will this final fifteen minutes bring?
77 mins: Roared on by the awoken Arsenal away following, Arsene Wenger's team are chasing a dramatic equaliser. Nacho Monreal is slipped into the box on the left and the ground holds its breath as one, but the Spaniard is unable reach the moving ball and it slides out of play for a goalkick.
82 mins: A chance for Dan Gosling to win it goes begging! The former Everton man was slipped into the area by Wilson's pass but after cutting back inside Shkodran Mustafi, he curled a left-footed effort wide of the far post.
82 mins: RED CARD!
Simon Francis has been sent off! Referee Michael Oliver had no hesitation in bringing out the red card as the Bournemouth captain slid in on Aaron Ramsey on the halfway line. Having gone over the ball, the defender got as feint a touch on the player as he did on the ball but it has been deemed to be dangerous play. It means Francis will serve a three-match suspension that will end his record of having appeared in every Premier League game since Bournemouth got promoted. More importantly, what will it mean for the final minutes of this game?
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