Arsenal vs Bournemouth: Who will take charge?

Arsenal really need three points against Bournemouth, so with that being the order of business, who is going to take charge of this match?

16 matches unbeaten does not sound like a problem. And it isn’t. We should all still be quite proud of Arsenal for managing this feat, but there’s no hiding that against Wolverhampton, the squad was at their worst. No one was able to break down a stingy Wolves’ defense and in the end, we were lucky to get a point.

You could say that part of the problem was that no one on the Gunners was willing to take charge. To step up and own the match. At least no one that was in a position to make much of a difference. Or maybe it was just that Wolves defended too well.

Whatever the cause of outcome, against Bournemouth, the Gunners can’t afford to get off to a rough start. They need someone to step up and take charge, and, thankfully, there are a handful of guys that could do it.

Captain Mesut Ozil is obviously a prime candidate, as he has been working his arse off to be in charge in recent matches, despite the absence of his usual magical self.

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He is going to be back in the saddle in a match that figures to meet more of his preferred specifications, so hopefully that will translate to an opportunity for Ozil to be back in charge.

Granit Xhaka is another prime candidate. Following his mistake against Wolves, he looked to be the No. 1 guy trying to change things and make something happen.

He was doing his usual passing wizardry and really looked set to be a difference maker, but with so little happening around him, he fell short.

Alexandre Lacazette is a third option. Always touted for what he can do outside of scoring goals, Lacazette, like Ozil, may find this match to his liking, as he will be seeing a lot of the ball, at least presumably.

The point is that these are high-impact players, who can’t look to each other, waiting for someone else to step up. There has to be an initiative from these guys.

That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if these three players all stepped up and took the game by the scruff. They are difference makers, and this is a match and a situation in general that needs a fresh helping of difference makers.