Dugout Discussion
3 January 2026 926 comments
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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
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Rice rice baby 😎

    1. panda07
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Jinx

  2. panda07
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Rice, Rice baby!

  3. Glasner Ball
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      How are you looking?

      1. Glasner Ball
        • 13 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

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

        1. FPL Blow-In
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

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

          Verbruggen, Cash, Gabriel, Rogers, Watkins

          Saka and Timber blanking

          1. Glasner Ball
            • 13 Years
            3 days, 22 hours ago

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

  4. Nightcrawler
    • 6 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    World class team. so many game changers

    odegaard looks back to his best

  5. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    I think that's Arsenal second shot on goal

  6. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Was Saka involved?

  7. fedolefan
    • 11 Years
    3 days, 22 hours 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.

    1. Gizzachance
      • 11 Years
      3 days, 22 hours 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

  8. bitm2007
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    No need to bringing Saka on now.

    1. Ignasi M
      • 8 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

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

  9. aleksios
    • 10 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    As posted earlier,Rice is a must.

    1. Glasner Ball
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 21 hours 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

  10. Firminooooo
    • 10 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Riiiiii8iiiccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeee

  11. Ha.
    • 10 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Saka get out of my team

  12. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Gabriel Heinze is such a lad.

  13. thegaffer82
    • 14 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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

  14. Philosopher's Stones
    • 5 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      100%

      Saka is not needed

      1. Utopsis
        • 5 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        You just Saka will respond with a dirty brace + assist

        1. Utopsis
          • 5 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          Just know *

  15. Fifa las vegas
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 22 hours 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

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

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

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

    2. GoonerSteve
      • 16 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      I did the exact same thing.

  16. Mr. O'Connell
    • 13 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Dream game as a Saka & Timber owner

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Same. Gabriel too though

  17. fedolefan
    • 11 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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

  18. TheBiffas
    • 5 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Still not used to rice being a good pick

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Adapt quickly

  19. Philosopher's Stones
    • 5 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Rice a season keeper imo.

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

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

      1. GoonerSteve
        • 16 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Same but in our defence he was a doubt.

        1. Fifa las vegas
          • 13 Years
          3 days, 22 hours ago

          That and the price changes rushed me into it.

          At least Gab got a return I guess

  20. Scapegoat Salah
    • 9 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Yes Rice what a barg!!!

  21. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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

  22. fedolefan
    • 11 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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

  23. FantasyTony
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Imagine selling Rice!

    1. Fifa las vegas
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Shut up 😉

    2. Mother Farke
      • 1 Year
      3 days, 22 hours ago

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

      1. Glasner Ball
        • 13 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        wow - glad i kept (and started)

    3. Utopsis
      • 5 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Hello!

  24. FC Hakkebøf
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 22 hours 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).

    1. TheBiffas
      • 5 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Agreed

    2. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      Giving Yaya Toure vibes.

  25. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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

  26. terranullius
    • 1 Year
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Saka to Rice? Now?

    1. Ignasi M
      • 8 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

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

      1. terranullius
        • 1 Year
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        Rice and Odegaard or just Saka?

  27. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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

    1. Ignasi M
      • 8 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

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

      1. Utopsis
        • 5 Years
        3 days, 22 hours ago

        I did this too fwiw

  28. Bobkat
    • 3 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Nice one Rice! Now Semenyo’s turn please

  29. Snoop Udogie Dogg
    • 5 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

    Rice for minteh bench jam, finally something gone my way

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 days, 22 hours ago

      I never get jam like this

  30. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    3 days, 22 hours ago

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