GRAB A GIFT OF THE GAB

Arsenal's rock can get the year rolling

- by ALEX HANKIN

BACK big Gabriel Magalhaes to show all his familiar resolve this evening.

The Brazilian is an indirect set-piece menace with few peers - and his backers could be sparking up a big cigar again when dead-ball kings Arsenal head to Bournemouth (5.30pm).

It’s the time of year for ditching bad habits, but the Cherries have struggled to shake-off their frailties when defending against set-pieces.

They have conceded 12 times from them in the Premier League so far this season, and no side had done worse ahead of Thursday night's fixtures.

Alot of folks will have to give up smirking in 2026 if the Gunners finally manage to turn an end-of-year lead at the top of the table into an end-of-season title.

In the Prem era that particular feat has been a coin-flip punt - 17 of 33 sides have got the job done.

But it’s something the Gunners have managed to bungle in all six of their attempts this century.

Arsenal were a general 8-13 shot for the 2025-26 crown after beating Aston Villa last Tuesday. If we can’t find a better 8-13 punt between now and May we might as well resolve to pack the game in.

The 4-1 home defeat of Villa was being widely hyped as something called a ‘statement win’ - which is fair enough if the statement was ‘we stuck four past a team of mid-table quality at home’