How Arsenal can beat Bournemouth with three Mikel Arteta undroppables and Kai Havertz change

Six games into the season and Arsenal are unbeaten, in a strong position in their Champions League group and through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, yet the buzz isn't quite the same. Brighton, narrowly ahead of them at the table at this early stage, and north London rivals Tottenham have gained more attention so far.

It is with the added expectation and the now-known quality of Mikel Arteta's side that impressive fatigue has already set in. The Gunners were so good and so surprising last year that already they are considered to be amongst the best of the best this term.

It is understandable,they spent like a big team, often perform like a big team and are now matching results with some far-from-peak-flow football. It is the final point that has seen them somewhat go under the radar.

So far this season Arteta has been scrambling around to find his best team, hampered by injuries and ideas for a different way of playing. Now he has been forced to go back to what he knows but still with different pieces to use.

Seven weeks into the season and the free-flowing side that lead the way for much of last season are not looking as slick. Arsenal have created the ninth most xG in the league, behind Brentford, Aston Villa and Chelsea. It is the steel of their defence that has so far seen them through games.

Via a mixture of Aaron Ramsdale and David Raya they have kept four cleansheets in all competitions already. With the external pressure to match their achievements of last season, Arsenal have shown grit rather than sheer dominance to accumulate their points at this stage and it is to no detriment that they have done so.

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