Arsenal vs Bournemouth: Preview, predictions and lineups
- Arsenal welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium for Saturday's early game
- The Gunners battered Cherries in reverse fixture last September
- Andoni Iroala's side in much better form in 2024 but Arsenal overwhelming favourites
Premier League table-toppers Arsenal are back in action for Saturday's lunchtime kick-off as they welcome in-form Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners have bounced back impressively from their annual April stumble, rattling off three consecutive wins to keep themselves well in the title race. However, an unprecedented fourth-straight league success is still in Manchester City's hands after they matched Arsenal's North London derby victory with a win away at Nottingham Forest.
City are just a point behind Mikel Arteta's men having played a game fewer. The gap will be four points by the time the Cityzens kick-off against Wolves should Arsenal win on home soil this weekend.
Bournemouth, however, will prove to be far from a walk in the park. The Andoni Iraola era took some time to ignite, but the Cherries have been one of the most productive teams in the division since they secured their first Premier League win on Matchday 10.
Iraola's side have struggled against the league's best, but they head into Saturday's game having won back-to-back games and with genuine European aspiratons.
Here's 90min's preview of the game.
What time does Arsenal vs Bournemouth kick-off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Emirates Stadium
- Date: Saturday 4 May
- Kick-off Time: 12:30 BST / 07:30 ET / 04:30 PT
- Referee: David Coote
- VAR: Peter Bankes
Arsenal vs Bournemouth H2H record (Last Five Games)
- Arsenal: 4 wins
- Bournemouth: 0 wins
- Draws: 1
Current form (all competitions)
Arsenal | Bournemouth |
|---|---|
Tottenham 2-3 Arsenal - 28/04/24 | Bournemouth 3-0 Brighton - 28/04/24 |
Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea - 23/04/24 | Wolves 0-1 Bournemouth - 24/04/24 |
Wolves 0-2 Arsenal - 20/04/24 | Aston Villa 3-1 Bournemouth - 21/04/24 |
Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal - 17/04/24 | Bournemouth 2-2 Man Utd - 13/04/24 |
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa - 14/04/24 | Luton Town 2-1 Bournemouth - 06/04/24 |
How to watch Arsenal vs Bournemouth on TV and live stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, TNT Sports 1, discovery+ App |
United States | UNIVERSO NOW, UNIVERSO, USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App, nbcsports.com |
Canada | fuboTV |
Arsenal team news
Arteta could name another unchanged side for Bournemouth's visit. The Arsenal squad has had almost a week to recover from the derby, and they have no fresh injury concerns.
There's also hope that Jurrien Timber will be involved for the first time since tearing his ACL in August. The Dutch defender won't start on Saturday, however.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Bournemouth
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Bournemouth (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.
Bournemouth team news
There are fears that Antoine Semenyo could be out for the long haul after he was pictured on crutches following last week's win over Brighton. Ryan Christie should replace the powerful winger in Iraola's starting 11.
Bournemouth will also be without the suspended Milos Kerkez, as well as Chris Mepham, Romain Faivre, Marcus Tavernier, Luis Sinisterra, and Ryan Fredericks.
Tyler Adams, Philip Billing, and Ilya Zabarnyi will all be assessed ahead of Saturday's game.
Bournemouth predicted lineup vs Arsenal
Bournemouth predicted lineup vs Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Travers; Smith, Senesi, Zabarnyi, Kelly; Billing, Scott; Ouattara, Christie, Kluivert; Solanke.
Arsenal vs Bournemouth score prediction
Arsenal's dramatic victory in this fixture convinced many that they were destined for the title last season. While a win on Saturday would do less to suggest it's written in the stars for Arteta's men, they can nonetheless put a little more pressure of rivals Manchester City.
The Gunners are rejuvenated after their April wobble and it's hard to envisage them losing against a Bournemouth side that, while in fine form, has only secured one victory against one of the so-called 'big six' all season.
Their meticulous pressing will test the hosts, no doubt, but Arsenal are built to deal with such a threat. They're an excellent side that are unlikely to drop points in any of their remaining fixtures. Bournemouth's injuries should allow them to cruise on Saturday.
Prediction: Arsenal 4-1 Bournemouth
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