Mikel Arteta believes the template Arsenal followed during their Champions League win over Sporting CP is one that should be implemented for the Premier League run-in.

Arsenal took control of their quarter-final tie with a 1-0 win over the Primeira Liga giants on Tuesday, with Kai Havertz netting a 91st-minute winner at Estadio Jose Alvalade. 

It was a result that followed back-to-back cup defeats for the Gunners, who lost the EFL Cup final before being dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Southampton. 

But attention now returns to the Premier League, as Arteta's men aim to extend their nine-point gap at the top with a win over in-form Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium. 

It's the start of a pivotal part of the campaign for the league leaders, who have their eagerly-anticipated clash away to second-placed Manchester City coming up on April 19.

And should his team execute the plan they had against Sporting moving forward, Arteta does not foresee any problems in their remaining fixtures. 

"Especially in the things that depend on us, it's nothing to do with quality or execution," Areta said. "Those are the things that have brought us here.

"The rest we have it, it will be moments, it is better or not that efficient, but those, if we maintain them... we have a great chance.

"We're extremely happy, obviously. It was a big night, a big moment in the season. Especially with where we're coming from. I think we had a point to prove.

"And yesterday I talked about identity and the things that I wanted to see on that pitch. It certainly happened. Certainly there was a shift there."

Bournemouth signed off for the international break with an entertaining 2-2 draw against Manchester United, who saw Harry Maguire sent off in the 78th minute. 

Andoni Iraola's side are 13th in the Premier League but are close to the European places, with just four points separating them from seventh-placed Brentford. 

The Cherries are only the second team to have an unbeaten run of more than 10 games (currently W4 D7) and a winless run of more than 10 games (D5 L6) in the same top-flight season.

Key to their campaign has been Marcus Tavernier, who has 10 goal contributions (six goals, four assists) in 28 Premier League appearances in 2025-26.

He recently signed a new contract that will keep him at the Vitality Stadium until 2029, and he is aiming to continue the club's upward trajectory.

"Signing the contract was the easiest decision for me to make for this football club," Tavernier explained to Bournemouth's official website. 

"I've spoken in many interviews about where I started with this club and the position we were in, and how far we've come on that journey in such a short time. 

"You have to give a massive thanks to the owner for investing and putting a lot of thought into this team and squad, and especially the head coach as well. 

"We're just trying to continue to keep building and making this club even better."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Arsenal – Declan Rice

Having missed Arsenal's FA Cup loss to Southampton, Rice returned in midfield against Sporting and will hope to play a big part against a team he has often enjoyed facing.

Rice has both scored (five) and been involved in (seven) more Premier League goals against Bournemouth than any other opponent, with all seven of these involvements coming in his last eight appearances against the Cherries.

Bournemouth – Junior Kroupi

Kroupi became the first teenager to score a Premier League penalty against Man United and the fourth teen to net home and away against the Red Devils in a single campaign, and the young talent will be hoping to get into double figures for the campaign here. 

He netted his ninth Premier League goal of the season last time out. The last teenager to score 10+ goals in his first season in the competition was Robbie Keane for Coventry City in 1999-00 (12).

MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN

Arsenal have won each of their last four Premier League games and are looking to win five in a row for the third time this season, after September 28 to November 1 and December 13 to January 3.

It would be only the third Premier League season in which the Gunners have had three separate runs of 5+ successive wins, after 2013-14 and 2022-23.

However, Bournemouth's 11-game unbeaten run (W4 D7) is their joint-longest in the Premier League, along with another streak between November 2024 and January 2025 (W7 D4).

The Cherries could also become the first side in the competition to record six successive draws since Manchester City in November 2009 (seven).

In addition, Bournemouth have won two of their last three league games against Arsenal, more than they did in their previous 14 (W1 D2 L11).

And having won each of their first eight home games against Bournemouth in all competitions, Arsenal lost this exact league fixture 2-1 last season. A similar slip-up here could prove costly in the title race, but Arteta's side are clear favourites. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Arsenal – 72.2%

Draw – 16%

Bournemouth – 11.8%