Arsenal take on Bournemouth in Saturday’s late Premier League kick-off, with the South Coast side still having an outside chance of qualifying for Europe.
Sitting in 10th place, they could reach the Europa League positions, but they will have to turn around a poor run that has seen them win just once in their last six games. They were unlucky last time out though – an injury-time goal from Rasmus Hojlund seeing them share the spoils in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United.
With the Premier League title already surrendered to Liverpool, second-placed Arsenal will be aiming to put their Champions League qualification beyond doubt. Seven points clear with four games to go should be enough, but they won’t rest unless it’s mathematically certain.
However, the Gunners will have one eye on next week’s Champions League semi-final second leg. They travel to Paris to face a PSG side with a one-goal deficit, so manager Mikel Arteta may rest some of his star names here.
ARSENAL VS BOURNEMOUTH PREVIEW
Arsenal’s five-match unbeaten run against Bournemouth was broken last time out, when the Cherries claimed a 2-0 victory in October. A Ryan Christie goal and a Justin Kluivert penalty were enough to seal the win. This means they will be looking to secure a double over Arsenal for the first time in their history.
Last season’s corresponding fixture saw Arsenal win 3-0. A Bukayo Saka penalty gave the Gunners a half-time lead, with Leandro Trossard netting a second. Declan Rice scored late-on to put the icing on the cake.
Arsenal goalkeeper Neto is ineligible for this fixture as he cannot face his parent team. Aside from that, Mikel Arteta has no new absentees.
This means Riccardo Calafiori’s knee injury is taking longer than expected to heal. Kai Havertz (hamstring), Gabriel Jesus (ACL), Jorginho (chest), Gabriel Magalhaes (hamstring) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) are all still out.
Evanilson can feature for Bournemouth, despite being sent off against Manchester United last Sunday. An independent panel overturned his red-card decision earlier this week.
Luis Sinisterra may have recovered from a hamstring issue and could feature. Ryan Christie (groin) and Enes Unal (knee) won’t play until next season.
ARSENAL VS BOURNEMOUTH – PREDICTIONS
Arsenal Win
League position and home advantage both point to an Arsenal win. They also have a 100% home record against Bournemouth, winning eight games out of eight.
Draw
Arsenal secured their 13th league draw against Crystal Palace last week, with only Everton (14) having more stalemates than them this season. The Cherries, meanwhile, have drawn three of their last four league games including against Man Utd last time out.
Bournemouth Win
The Gunners will have one eye on next week’s Champions League match against PSG while Bournemouth need a win to get back into European contention. The possibility of securing their first ever win at Arsenal, and their first double against them, could be a big motivator too.
PREMIER LEAGUE – TOP SCORER
| # | Player | Team | Goals | Assists | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Mohamed Salah |
Liverpool FC | 28 | 17 | 36 |
| 2 |
Alexander Isak |
Newcastle United FC | 23 | 6 | 33 |
| 3 |
Erling Haaland |
Manchester City FC | 21 | 3 | 30 |
| 4 |
Chris Wood |
Nottingham Forest FC | 20 | 3 | 34 |
| 5 |
Bryan Mbeumo |
Brentford FC | 18 | 8 | 36 |
ARSENAL VS BOURNEMOUTH – BETTING TIPS
Draw
Only Everton (14) have drawn more matches than Arsenal (13) this season. The Gunners have also drawn their last two Premier League games at home (1-1 against Brentford, 2-2 against Crystal Palace).
Bournemouth, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Manchester United last time out. It was their third stalemate in four Premier League games.
The Cherries also have a decent away record this season, having lost only four times on their travels. Coupled with Arsenal having one eye on their Champions League fixture and I think all signs point to the draw.
Both Teams To Score
Both teams scored in both of Arsenal’s and Bournemouth’s last Premier League fixtures. With 53 league goals this season, the Cherries aren’t shy in front of goal. Arsenal may have the tightest defence in the top flight, but I expect Bournemouth to nick a goal. The Gunners, meanwhile, should score at home.
HEAD-TO-HEAD AND KEY STATS
- Arsenal and Bournemouth have played each other 17 times, with the Gunners winning 13. Bournemouth have won two, while there have been two draws.
- Bournemouth’s 2-0 win earlier this season broke Arsenal’s five-match winning run against them. It was also their first win in 10 attempts in all competitions.
- As a result, Bournemouth will be looking to secure their first-ever double over Arsenal this weekend.
- Arsenal have won their last eight home fixtures against Bournemouth in all competitions. This is a 100% record.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in eight matches in the Premier League.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in 18 league games against teams in the top half of the table.
- Bournemouth have drawn three of their last four Premier League games.
- Bournemouth have only won one game in their last eight in all competitions.
- Bournemouth have lost just four away games in the Premier League this season.
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03-05-2025 |
Arsenal FC |
1 - 2 |
AFC Bournemouth |
| 19-10-2024 |
AFC Bournemouth |
2 - 0 |
Arsenal FC |
| 04-05-2024 |
Arsenal FC |
3 - 0 |
AFC Bournemouth |
| 30-09-2023 |
AFC Bournemouth |
0 - 4 |
Arsenal FC |
