Mikel Arteta confirms injury boost as boss sets Premier League points target

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has given an injury update as the Premier League title race heats up

Arsenal are set to return to Premier League action as the title race restarts this weekend. The Gunners are preparing to host Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The early afternoon kick-off presents Mikel Arteta’s side with an opportunity to possibly move 12 points ahead of Manchester City, who will have two games in hand. Arsenal will hope to capitalise on the chance to heap more pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side ahead of their trip to Chelsea on Sunday.

The Gunners are in good spirits following their midweek win over Sporting CP in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. Arteta has added to the optimistic feeling by confirming that Eberechi Eze is fit to face Bournemouth.

However, the Arsenal boss was more cryptic when asked for updates on other members of his squad. Here, Mirror Football takes a look at some of the headlines surrounding the club.

Mikel Arteta confirms injury boost

The Arsenal manager has shared that Eberechi Eze is available to face the Cherries on Saturday. The 27-year-old had been sidelined with a calf injury but returned to training earlier this week.

When asked about Eze's fitness, Arteta said: "He is available. My first conversation with him after felt that niggle he wanted to be available the next week. That was not possible. The recovery, the way he has shown to get back, the way he has pushed."

However, the Spanish coach showed a hint of mind games when speaking about the condition of several other players. Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber all missed training on Thursday, with the boss providing a cryptic update.

He said: "Yes, there have been changes there since yesterday." Asked which of the players could face Bournemouth, Arteta added: "I don't know. Some of them."

Premier League points target set

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has set the points tally his side need to win the Premier League title, making Arsenal’s mission clear. The club currently sit nine points behind the Gunners, having played a game less, and could see that gap increase before their next match.

"We have to win every single game,” Guardiola said. "Hopefully we can get a lot of points. The situation we are in in the Premier League, we need to get all of them otherwise it will not give us a chance to try until the end.

"We need to get a lot of points. We have not been consistent enough in the season. We have dropped points that we should have taken, which is why we are now in the position where we cannot do it differently."

City winning their remaining eight games, including a home clash with Arsenal later this month, would give Guardiola’s side 85 points. The Gunners can better that total, even with a potential loss to City, by winning five and drawing one of their six other games.

Another five victories could be enough for Arsenal to end their title drought on goal difference, should their rivals win every match. Meanwhile, a positive result against City on April 19 would further dent City’s hopes.