With three games to play, Arsenal remain firmly in the title race and will hope to build a four-point lead for themselves in Saturday's early match. Ideally for Mikel Arteta, they would not do so in as dramatic a fashion as last season, when Reiss Nelson's 98th-minute volley broke Bournemouth's hearts.
That goal meant Arsenal had a record of six games and six wins against Bournemouth, but they have rarely encountered a version of the Cherries in the form they have achieved in recent weeks. A 3-0 win over Brighton last time out means Andoni Iraola's side have secured a record number of Premier League points. Three more wins may not be enough to reach the European places, but Bournemouth will certainly try. Here's how to watch the match and what you need to know.
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- Date: Saturday May 4 | Time: 7:30am ET
- Place: Emirates Stadium – London
- TV: USA | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Chances: Arsenal -550; Draw: +650; Bournemouth +1100
Storylines
Arsenal: The finish is in sight for Arteta's side, who have responded in a comprehensive manner to their setbacks against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, beating Wolves, Chelsea and Tottenham by an aggregate margin of 10-2. They survived an almighty battle against the latter on Sunday in a manner that suggested the nerves that affected him in the final weeks of last season have been banished 12 months later.
It doesn't help that Arteta has a fully fit squad to choose from this time around. Jurrien Timber has made two appearances for the Under-21s as he accelerates his recovery from the ACL injury he suffered on the opening weekend, and has been training this week with a view to being included in the squad for the clash with Bournemouth.
Bournemouth: It's hard to believe that just a few months ago there was speculation about Andoni Iraola's future at the Vitality Stadium after a difficult start to the season. Since their first win of the season against Burnley on 28 October, Bournemouth sit fifth in the Premier League on goal difference and points and have the fourth best expected non-penalty goal difference in the league by a significant margin.
After a brief hesitation at the start of the year, Bournemouth have really been rolling lately. Since the start of March, ten league games have yielded twenty points, with only two defeats against Luton Town and Aston Villa. They may have left it too late to reach the European places, but this will undoubtedly be seen as a year of progress on the south coast, one that Iraola hopes to implement in 2024-2025.
“It doesn't matter how we finish because next season is normally always more difficult because the level normally improves, especially in the Premier League where we see the competition becoming more and more powerful,” he said. “But I want to finish strong, because I also want to finish high in the rankings.”
Prediction
This is unlikely to be easy for Arsenal, but they have shown in recent weeks that they are ready to rise to the occasion. Maybe they'll just do that again. CHOOSE: Arsenal 2, Bournemouth 1
