Martin Odegaard misses out again for Arsenal, Eze back on bench

Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are in for Odegaard and Leandro Trossard while Myles Lewis Skelly gets a rare start against Bournemouth

Myles Lewis-Skelly, starts against Bournemouth.

MARTIN Odegaard, the Arsenal captain, misses out again with injury as young defender Myles Lewis-Skelly gets a rare start Saturday for the title-chasing Gunners at home to Bournemouth (12.30).

The 19-year-old makes only his second Premier League start of the season, coming in at left-back in place of the injured Riccardo Calafiori. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli are in for Odegaard and Leandro Trossard in Mikel Arteta’s two other changes, but while the Belgian is on the bench, Odegaard is not in the matchday squad. 

He limped out of Arsenal's Champions League win in Lixbon last Tuesday but his Norwegian manager Ståle Solbakken is reported as saying that his absence will only be short term.
For Bournemouth, Eli Junior Kroupi replaces Amine Adli in Andoni Iraola’s only change.

There is a boost off the bench for Mikel Erteta with Piero Hincapie and Eberechi Eze both passed fit and available.

Arsenal’s manager Arteta said that after three successive runners-up finishes, this had to be their moment. “Embrace the opportunity, the difficulty. I think the outcome when we reach that is going to be totally different to any other club. You’re there in clubs and you go there as a manager and they won it the year before or two years before; you win it, it’s fine. [It happens] a lot in Europe.

“But this one is a very particular one – in the Premier League because it’s been 22 years and the Champions League has never been done before. So that has to fill you with enthusiasm, energy and there’s the possibility and the probability that it’s very big to do it. So put everything on the table because that’s the moment to do it.”

Twenty-eight days have passed since Arsenal last played in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City must now win every game to have a chance of pipping Arsenal to the title.

City resume their pursuit of the Gunners at the top of the table at Chelsea on Sunday after a break of almost a month due to the international break and cup commitments.

Yet even if they take maximum points from their remaining eight games - which include a home clash with Arsenal next week - Guardiola's side will still need the leaders to slip up.

For that reason, he feels they have no margin for error.

The City manager said: "The situation that we are in in the Premier League, we need to win all of them otherwise it will not give us a chance to try until the end.

"We need to do a lot of points. We were not consistent enough and during the season we dropped points we should have taken. That's why we are in a position that now we cannot do differently."

He said: "We have to win our games, playing before or later. Now there are few remaining games in the Premier League, so we have to win every single game."

ARSENAL: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz, Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Hincapie, Jesus, Eze, Norgaard, Trossard, Dowman, Salmon.

BOURNEMOUTH: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Truffert, Senesi, Scott, Christie, Rayan, Tavernier, Kroupi Jr, Evanilson.

Subs: Mandas, Adams, Brooks, Gannon-Doak, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Unal, Toth.