Arsenal will be hoping to get back to winning ways following a disastrous start to the new Premier League season when they host Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The Gunners were relatively disappointing on the opening day but despite snatching a last-gasp 4-3 win at home against Leicester City, they failed to take that confidence boost into their next two fixtures on the road.
A 1-0 loss against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium was followed up by a 4-0 humiliation against Liverpool at Anfield last time out – performances that suggest that the club still hasn’t recovered from finishing outside of the top four last term.
The thrashing against Jurgen Klopp’s men should ensure that Arsene Wenger makes changes to his team for the visit of the Cherries, who are also struggling having lost all three of their matches so far, scoring just one goal in the process.
Here are three changes Wenger must make to his starting XI to get back to winning ways against Bournemouth…
Per Mertesacker for Nacho Monreal
Mertesacker may have only made one top flight appearance for the club since the end of the 2015/16 season, but perhaps it is time for him to return to the starting XI for the visit of Bournemouth this weekend.
While it is difficult to criticise Monreal considering he is playing out of position at centre-back, the Spaniard is struggling right now and it is about time that Wenger played a recognised central defender there instead.
With the French manager seemingly not fancying Skhodran Mustafi right now, he should opt for an experienced head in Mertesacker to take his place in the back three in order to bring a bit of composure to a defence that has conceded eight goals in their opening three Premier League matches.
Sead Kolasinac for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Whatever Wenger decides to do this weekend, he will have one enforced change to make to the team that started the defeat against Liverpool considering Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Reds in a £35m deal before the transfer window slammed shut last week.
The 23-year-old featured in the right wing-back role at Anfield with Hector Bellerin somewhat out of position on the opposite flank, and Kolasinac was perhaps a surprise inclusion on the substitutes’ bench considering he has made an impressive start to his Arsenal career.
The departure of Oxlade-Chamberlain means that Bellerin can revert to his favoured right-sided role, and Kolasinac should be given an opportunity on the left to bring some power, strength and attacking threat for the visit of a potentially vulnerable Bournemouth.
Alexandre Lacazette for Danny Welbeck
Considering he scored just 94 seconds into his debut against Leicester City on the opening day, it was perhaps a surprise to see Lacazette dropped to the substitutes’ bench for the trip to Liverpool after failing to get on the score-sheet at Stoke.
The Frenchman has shown just how prolific he can be in front of goal during his time in France with Lyon, and if the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez can give him the right service then he is more likely to put the ball in the net than miss – something that can’t be guaranteed with Welbeck.
Considering the Bournemouth defence could be low on confidence, this could be a real opportunity for Lacazette to get his Arsenal career going.
Do you agree, Arsenal fans? Let us know below.
