Kicking off their latest pre-season tour Stateside, Arsenal pit their wits against Premier League rivals Bournemouth at Dignity Health Sports Park in California, with the contest taking place at 3.30am UK time on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, the Cherries have already commenced their USA sojourn, drawing 1-1 with League One new boys Wrexham in their opening contest of the summer.
Match preview
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Another excruciating campaign of close yet no cigar for the Gunners in 2023-24, but unlike in the 2022-23 campaign - where they led the way for the majority of the season only to capitulate - Mikel Arteta's side pushed Manchester City all the way to the brink.
Arsenal were still in with a shot of ending Pep Guardiola's reign of Premier League dominance on the final day, but even though they did what was required of them with a hard-fought 2-1 success over Everton, West Ham United could not do them a gigantic favour at the Etihad.
Not even the Invincibles side of 2003-04 managed as many as Arsenal's 28 Premier League wins last season, while 91 goals scored was also the most of any Gunners side since the competition's inception in 1992, but not even those club records were enough to trump the Man City end-of-season juggernaut.
However, the Gunners still ended the season with one trophy to their name in the shape of the Community Shield - although perpetual debate rages about its silverware status - while also doing themselves proud against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarters, avoiding a repeat of their previously common 5-1 thrashings.
As the Paris 2024 Olympics draw ever closer, Arsenal will coincidentally seek to convert their pair of silver medals into a glittering gold in the 2024-25 Premier League season, prior to which Bournemouth, Manchester United, Liverpool. Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon await in a testing quintet of friendlies.
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Arsenal have already taken part in one unofficial friendly this summer - beating Leyton Orient 2-0 in a behind-closed-doors fixture thanks to Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe's goals - but Bournemouth's recent clash against League One opposition did not end with the Cherries emerging victorious.
Two of Andoni Iraola's defenders made the same net ripple at the Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, as James Hill's own goal gave Wrexham the lead just before the break, but his blushes were spared by Marcos Senesi just eight minutes into the second period.
Bournemouth still came under the cosh after Senesi headed home, but Iraola's men dug in for a hard-earned draw, albeit one that stretched their overall winless run to four matches in competitive and non-competitive action following their dismal end to 2023-24.
However, three straight losses to close the top-flight campaign was only a minor blot on the Iraola notebook as he led Bournemouth to their best-ever Premier League finish, and as Arsenal commence their transatlantic tour on Wednesday, the Cherries conclude theirs.
Iraola's team will welcome two Spanish foes in Rayo Vallecano and Girona to Dean Court next month, but first on the agenda is snapping a five-game losing sequence against the Gunners, who put seven past Bournemouth in two top-flight fixtures last term.
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Team News
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Arsenal confirmed a 26-man squad for their USA jaunt on Sunday, with the notable absences of several Euro 2024 and Copa America stars; none of Bukayo Saka, David Raya, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale or William Saliba will play any part in the tour.
Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz will not be available for the Bournemouth battle either, but the trio could make their returns against Liverpool on July 31, while Kieran Tierney (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) have both been left behind due to injury.
Two new goalkeepers in Lucas Nygaard and Tommy Setford have made the journey, but Karl Hein should don the gloves from the first whistle, while Ben White and Martin Odegaard will be among the first-team regulars involved.
As for Bournemouth, Iraola confirmed last week that luckless USA midfielder Tyler Adams has been forced to undergo an operation on a back injury and will miss the start of the new season, while left-back Owen Bevan strained a muscle in the Wrexham draw and is facing weeks out too.
Enes Unal (foot) completes a trifecta of Cherries injuries, while Colombia's Luis Sinisterra and New Zealand's Alex Paulsen are unavailable due to international commitments; the latter is competing at the Olympic Games.
However, Milos Kerkez and Ilya Zabarnyi - who has just penned a new long-term contract at the Vitality Stadium - are both in the squad after their short-lived Euro 2024 runs, and the Cherries have managed to keep hold of 19-goal striker Dominic Solanke, who will face one of his reported admirers here.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Hein; White, Timber, Kiwior, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Smith Rowe; Vieira, Nketiah, Jesus
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Travers; Smith, Mepham, Hill, Kerkez; Cook, Scott; Semenyo, Billing, Tavernier; Solanke
We say: Arsenal 2-1 Bournemouth
Getting minutes into as many players' legs as possible is the top priority for both Arteta and Iraola at this stage of pre-season, and the Arsenal squad is significantly more weakened by international absentees.
However, as the Gunners boss should still be able to put out a strong first XI before ringing the second-half changes, the North London giants have our vote to edge a close battle.
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Ben Knapton
