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Bournemouth v Arsenal team news: Semenyo + Rice start, Saka sub

3 January 2026 926 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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A chilly Vitality Stadium plays host to the final Premier League match of the day: Bournemouth v Arsenal.

Kick-off on the south coast is at 5.30pm GMT.

TEAM NEWS

Andoni Iraola continues to eke out the services of the exit-bound Antoine Semenyo, starting the winger against the Gunners this evening.

It may not even be the Ghanaian international’s swansong in a Bournemouth shirt, with his manager confident, or at least hopeful, of another appearance in Gameweek 21.

Semenyo is part of an unchanged XI following the 2-2 draw at Chelsea.

New signing Fraser Forster, snapped up following Will Dennis‘s injury, is among the substitutes.

Mikel Arteta has sprung a few surprises with his teamsheet, making three alterations.

One sees Declan Rice return from a knee injury and take the place of Mikel Merino in midfield.

The big calls are in attack, with Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard dropping to the bench.

In come Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli for starts alongside Viktor Gyokeres, who continues to see off the challenge of Gabriel Jesus.

Gabriel Magalhaes starts again at centre-half, fresh from his 15-pointer on Tuesday night. That appearance against Aston Villa marked his first start since Gameweek 11.

LINE-UPS

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Scott, Tavernier, Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo, Evanilson.

Subs: Forster, Cook, Soler, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Kroupi, Unal, Rees-Dottin.

Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres.

Subs: Kepa, White, Saka, Jesus, Eze, Norgaard, Trossard. Merino, Lewis-Skelly.

LIVE GAMEWEEK PAGE!

New to Fantasy Football Scout this season is the Live Gameweek page, which you can see on the side menu.

Here you can follow the scores, watch the defensive contribution (DC) points roll in, see who the leading players are for xG and more as the games play out, as seen below:

Introducing The Eye Test 2
926 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. NABIL - FPL otai
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Rice rice baby 😎

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    1. panda07
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Jinx

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  2. panda07
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Rice, Rice baby!

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  3. Hughes Your Daddy
    10 months, 10 days ago

    What a great gameweek this is shaping up to be! 🙂

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    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 10 days ago

      How are you looking?

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      1. Hughes Your Daddy
        10 months, 10 days ago

        All my first 5 players....
        Gab/Cash/Rice/Rogers and Verb all producing (also hopefully Van Hecke 1st on bench coming on)

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        1. FPL Blow-In
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          10 months, 10 days ago

          Nicely done. I’ve the similar players but some blanking too.

          Verbruggen, Cash, Gabriel, Rogers, Watkins

          Saka and Timber blanking

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          1. Hughes Your Daddy
            10 months, 10 days ago

            Seeing as Saka is on now hopefully he can do something for us both 🙂

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  4. Nightcrawler
    10 months, 10 days ago

    World class team. so many game changers

    odegaard looks back to his best

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  5. Ignasi M
    10 months, 10 days ago

    I think that's Arsenal second shot on goal

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  6. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Was Saka involved?

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  7. fedolefan
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Need to get Rice in damn it. Gyokeres did well in that goal. Real unit for defenders to deal with which opens up space for the others.

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    1. Gizzachance
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Took rice out for Gordon last week due to injury/doubt

      Need Gordon to return
      Cunha to rice will be done after next gw

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  8. bitm2007
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 10 days ago

    No need to bringing Saka on now.

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    1. Ignasi M
      10 months, 10 days ago

      yeah, would rather Saka stay on bench and bring Eze on.

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  9. aleksios
    10 months, 10 days ago

    As posted earlier,Rice is a must.

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    1. Hughes Your Daddy
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Yep, thanks for the answer earlier (and others) as stuck with Rice (essential) 🙂

      https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/2026/01/03/the-latest-ffs-cup-results-draws-14?hc_page=3&hc_sort_by=comment_date#hc_comment_27492499

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  10. Firminooooo
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Riiiiii8iiiccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeee

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  11. Ha.
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Saka get out of my team

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  12. Ignasi M
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Gabriel Heinze is such a lad.

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  13. thegaffer82
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Rice and Gabriel scoring = my rubbish rank plummeting further into the abyss

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  14. The Philosopher
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Rice(bar Gabriel) gonna be the best value for money player from Arsenal come GW38 imo.

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    1. Make United Great Again
      10 months, 10 days ago

      100%

      Saka is not needed

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      1. Utopsis
        10 months, 10 days ago

        You just Saka will respond with a dirty brace + assist

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        1. Utopsis
          10 months, 10 days ago

          Just know *

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  15. Fifa las vegas
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Mother of f**king god. Well that just makes my -4 for Gab not worth again. Should’ve just taken Saka out pocket the money and kept Rice.

    I’m only going to want him back again now

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    1. Fifa las vegas
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Ugh and he’s on for the 3 bonus as well.

      I’m just never going to catch the leader on ML

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    2. GoonerSteve
      10 months, 10 days ago

      I did the exact same thing.

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  16. Mr. O'Connell
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Dream game as a Saka & Timber owner

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    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Same. Gabriel too though

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  17. fedolefan
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Can useless Cunha get his fixtures out of the way already. Just holding off on Rice because I want to use his spot.

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  18. TheBiffas
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Still not used to rice being a good pick

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    1. Make United Great Again
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Adapt quickly

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  19. The Philosopher
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Rice a season keeper imo.

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    1. Fifa las vegas
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Disgusted with myself for getting rid of him over Saka for Gabriel. He’s just so consistent

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      1. GoonerSteve
        10 months, 10 days ago

        Same but in our defence he was a doubt.

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        1. Fifa las vegas
          10 months, 10 days ago

          That and the price changes rushed me into it.

          At least Gab got a return I guess

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  20. KAPTAIN KANE SERVES THE PAI…
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Yes Rice what a barg!!!

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  21. Ignasi M
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Rice was pretty poor in the first half. Looked well off it. More energy in second half.

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  22. fedolefan
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Gabriel hit defcon already. He's on 7 and Timber is on 4, so that makes it 11 by my count for Gabriel.

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  23. FantasyTony
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Imagine selling Rice!

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    1. Fifa las vegas
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Shut up 😉

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    2. Mother Farke
      10 months, 10 days ago

      -633452 NT out for Rice. Seen lots of benchers, too.

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      1. Hughes Your Daddy
        10 months, 10 days ago

        wow - glad i kept (and started)

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    3. Utopsis
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Hello!

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  24. FC Hakkebøf
    10 months, 10 days ago

    I cant get used to the fact that Rice is a good fpl pick. I keep avoiding him at all cost. Huge red arrow incoming (again).

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    1. TheBiffas
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Agreed

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    2. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Giving Yaya Toure vibes.

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  25. Ignasi M
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Arsenal need that third. Cherries still looking very good going forward.

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  26. terranullius
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Saka to Rice? Now?

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    1. Ignasi M
      10 months, 10 days ago

      hmmmmmmm Saka always does well vs Liverpool. Ideally you'd have both.

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      1. terranullius
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        10 months, 10 days ago

        Rice and Odegaard or just Saka?

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  27. THE Wild Rover
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Lol, spent ages deliberating over Rice or Odegaard, couldn’t decide in the end, so went for Bruno G 😆

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    1. Ignasi M
      10 months, 10 days ago

      Yeah, I got rid of Rice for Gabriel and kept saka, fml

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      1. Utopsis
        10 months, 10 days ago

        I did this too fwiw

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  28. Bobkat
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Nice one Rice! Now Semenyo’s turn please

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  29. a wat di rass
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Rice for minteh bench jam, finally something gone my way

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    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      10 months, 10 days ago

      I never get jam like this

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  30. Ignasi M
    10 months, 10 days ago

    Now, the Arsenal of old would concede an equaliser in this game.

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