Arsenal travel to the South Coast on Boxing Day to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
There will be lots of prying eyes watching this game as it’ll be Mikel Arteta’s first in charge of Arsenal, away from being understudy to Pep Guardiola.
Arteta was in the stands for Arsenal’s last fixture against Everton at Goodison Park and it’s fair to say, he was probably not impressed. The dour 0-0 match will be a strong candidate for being the Premier League’s worst game of the season and epitomises the amount of work that is on Arteta’s hands to change Arsenal’s fortunes.
With one win in their previous 13 games, Arsenal look terribly fatigued and short of ideas. For that reason, maybe the arrival of a fresh faced and eager manager like Arteta could not have come at a better time.
Arteta debuts against Bournemouth, a side which has been impeccably moulded by Eddie Howe.
Since their arrival to the Premier League in 2015, Bournemouth have successfully punched well above their weight and have earned the right to belong in the Premier League.
Ahead of the game, we’ve looked at some key battles that could determine who comes out on top.
