Aballou: A site made by fans, for fans

Duel at Vitality: Arsenal Face Bournemouth with Raya in Goal and Rice Back

3 January 2026

Duel at Vitality: Arsenal Face Bournemouth with Raya in Goal and Rice Back
Arsenal and Bournemouth lineups before kickoff at Vitality Stadium.

Lineups

Spanish coach Mikel Arteta unveiled Arsenal's starting XI for Bournemouth's visit at Vitality Stadium in the Premier League's 20th round. The lineup brought back English star Declan Rice after missing the previous match against Aston Villa due to injury. On the bench for Arsenal were Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus. The teams' lineups were announced as follows:

Bournemouth: Petrovic - Trouvert - Sensi - Brooks - Scott - Evanilson - Tavernier - Kluyvert - Jimenez - Hill - Semenyo.

Arsenal: Raya - Heinikabi - Saliba - Gabriel - Timber - Zubimendi - Rice - Odegaard - Maduwike - Martinelli - Giokeris.

Arsenal sit top of the league with 45 points, while Bournemouth occupy fifteenth with 23 points.

With top spot on the line and a potential surprise, fans can expect a lively 90 minutes. Punchline 1: If this lineup were a sniper shot, it would land on target at the 90th minute. Punchline 2: And if the ball had GPS, it would ping straight to the corner flag with a grin.

Author

Avatar

Michael Whooosh

I am Michael Whooosh, an English sports journalist born in 1986. Passionate about surfing, poetry, and beekeeping, I share my human and sensitive view of sports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the match played?

Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth.

Who returns for Arsenal?

Declan Rice returns from injury.

Who is on the Arsenal bench?

Saka, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus are among the substitutes.