Arsenal will goal to increase their lead on the high of the Premier League desk to 12 factors in opposition to a Bournemouth facet unbeaten of their previous 11 matches.
BBC Sport examines among the key themes forward of their assembly at Emirates Stadium.
Commercial
Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta known as for perspective earlier than the quarter-final first-leg go to to Sporting on Tuesday evening and the Gunners’ mini-crisis was subsequently averted following.
Arteta’s facet had entered that contest following losses within the League Cup remaining and quarter-finals of the FA Cup in back-to-back matches, however a vital midweek European win has softened the touchdown of a return to Premier League soccer, the place their type has remained persistently good in current weeks.
Arsenal resume home affairs realizing a win in opposition to Bournemouth will stretch their lead on the high of the desk to 12 factors, with Manchester Metropolis not travelling to Chelsea till Sunday.
A victory in opposition to the Cherries would additionally equal Arsenal’s longest successful run this season of 5 Premier League fixtures, a feat they’ve achieved twice already in 2025-26.
Commercial
Central to their success in current matches has been teenager Max Dowman. The 16-year-old scored in Arsenal’s final league outing in opposition to Everton to seal a 2-0 win, whereas his look as a second-half substitute in opposition to Sporting earlier this week when the sport was nonetheless goalless demonstrated his elevated belief to play within the largest matches.
Max Dowman is likely one of the youngest gamers to look within the Champions League knockout levels [BBC]
Dowman’s midweek outing made him the second-youngest participant to function in a Champions League knockout match on the age of 16 years and 97 days, though guests Bournemouth have a starlet of their very own having fun with a standout season.
Junior Kroupi could also be a number of years older than his Arsenal counterpart, however the 19-year-old’s performances bely these of a youngster enjoying his first season of Premier League soccer.
Commercial
Twelve of Kroupi’s 26 Premier League appearances on this marketing campaign have come off the bench as he vies with Evanilson for sport time however the France Below-21 worldwide has nonetheless scored 9 league targets, together with one within the 3-2 house defeat to Arsenal in January.
His most up-to-date objective got here from the penalty spot to earn the Cherries a 2-2 draw at Manchester United on 20 March and protect their 11-game unbeaten run.
Ought to Kroupi rating for the second time in opposition to the Gunners this season, he’ll grow to be the primary teenager to attain 10 targets in his debut Premier League marketing campaign since Robbie Keane for Coventry Metropolis in 1999-00 (12), and simply the fourth total.
Junior Kroupi might grow to be simply the fourth teenager in Premier League historical past to attain 10 targets in his debut marketing campaign [BBC]