Arsenal scout three Bournemouth players as Arteta demands higher standards from Rice

Arsenal have been scouting three Bournemouth players — Marcus Tavernier, Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott — as Mikel Arteta prepares his squad for Premier League action against Hull City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, having warned his players their standards must improve after a sluggish second half in Prague.

According to TeamTalk, Arsenal have been compiling data on Tavernier as they look to add quality to the left side of their attack. The 27-year-old has scored six times in 14 games this season, demonstrating his versatility across midfield and the forward line for the Cherries.

Kroupi is understood to be one of Arsenal’s January targets, though Bournemouth are reluctant to sell and the Gunners are likely to face competition from Bayern Munich. Scott, meanwhile, has refused to sign a new contract with Bournemouth, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City also reported to be interested in the midfielder. The two players have combined for four goal contributions so far this campaign.

On the pitch, Arteta was candid about his side’s performance in Wednesday’s 2-1 Champions League win over Slavia Prague, where Arsenal struggled badly after the interval. “Right from the beginning of the half, we were extremely far from our standards, the basics, the concepts, and everything we discussed to avoid,” the Spaniard said. “It was far from what we expect from each other, but we found a way to hold onto the result and win the game.”

Declan Rice drew attention for appearing fatigued in the closing stages in Prague, but Arteta defended his decision to keep the England midfielder on for the full 90 minutes. “The game required it, and he did,” Arteta said. “He was well rested against Fleetwood so he had a very good week to recover before Liverpool. It’s his second game in a week and not the fifth one. We expect our players to be able to do that and I think he had some very good moments throughout the game.”

Not everyone shared that assessment. Former Arsenal player Karen Carney expressed concern about the club’s reliance on Rice, though Arteta’s public stance remains that the 26-year-old is being managed appropriately within the squad’s workload.

Arsenal head into Saturday’s home fixture against Hull City looking to extend a four-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, with Arteta making clear that the drop in European standards will not be tolerated on home soil.