Arsenal - Bournemouth predictions and free betting tips [04/05/2024]

On Saturday the 4th of May, as part of the 36th Premier League round, Arsenal will contend with Bournemouth on home ground. Last weekend, the "Gunners" triumphed in the North London derby, overpowering Tottenham with a score of 2:3, meanwhile, the "Cherries" annulled Brighton (3:0) and rose to the upper part of the league table.

Expected Lineups

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Ødegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.    
Bournemouth: Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kelly; Ouattara, Cook, Scott, Kluivert; Solanke, Ünal.  

Arsenal

Following recent Liverpool slip-ups, Arsenal is now vying for the title with Manchester City. Londoners top the league, but the fate of the trophy isn't entirely in their control, as the "Citizens" are behind by just one point, with a game in hand. Following an 11-match unbeaten streak (10 victories and 1 draw), the "Gunners" fell short against Aston Villa (0:2). Yet they didn't lose momentum, pulling off victories against Wolverhampton (0:2), Chelsea (5:0) and Tottenham last weekend (2:3). Goals by Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and an own goal by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg provided the Gunners with what seemed like a solid lead during the first half, but were later undone by blunders by David Raya and Declan Rice, allowing Cristian Romero and Son Heung Min to fight back. 

Six out of seven of Arsenal's home games in the 2024 Premier League have concluded in the Londoners' victory. The hosts rank third in terms of points gained on home turf (41 points across 17 matches). Dutch defender Jurriën Timber, who recently returned to training following a lengthy injury, hasn't yet regained sufficient condition and definitely won't play come Saturday. Otherwise, Mikel Arteta will be able to count on an optimal lineup with Saka (15 goals and 9 assists) and Havertz (12 goals and 6 assists) leading the creative attempts in the attack, completed by either Trossard (10 goals) or Martinelli (6 goals in the Champions League). Takehiro Tomiyasu is expected to once again win the left flank defence position against Jakub Kowior and Oleksandr Zinchenko, with Partey, Rice, and Ødegaard appearing at the centre of the pitch. 

Bournemouth

Expectations for this season were that Bournemouth would be fighting for survival, but the club from the south of England exceeded all expectations by securing a spot in the middle of the table. As it now stands, the "Cherries" hold the 10th spot in the Premier League and so close off their campaign without unnecessary stress. As such, the team under Andoni Iraola has won 6 out of the last 10 matches, tied twice, and lost twice. Following a 3:1 defeat against Aston Villa, Bournemouth struck back with victories against Wolverhampton (0:1) and Brighton (3:0) last weekend. A goal and an assist from Enes Ünal and Marcos Senesi put the red and blacks ahead by the end of the hour, after which Justin Kluivert drove the final nail in the coffin. It is worth noting that the Cherries rank eighth in the overall standings in terms of points gained away from home (21 in 17 away matches). 

This weekend, Bournemouth will be short several key players due to injuries: wingers Tavernier (3 goals and 4 assists) and Sinisterra (2 goals and 2 assists), Mepham, and Fábio Silva, as well as long-absent defender Fredericks. The participation of American midfielder Tyler Adams, who has been plagued by injuries this season, is also under question. On the other hand, principal left back Kerkez is back in the lineup following suspension. The winter signing, Enes Ünal, who was in the attack formation with Dominic Solanke (18 goals) last weekend, marked a goal and an assist to his name, so he should start this time as well. On the flanks could be Kluivert (7 goals) and Semenyo (8 goals), with Cook appearing in the support zone. 

Head to Head

Bournemouth was crushed by Arsenal 0:4 on home turf in September and forfeited a 2:0 lead in March of last year at the Emirates, when a winning goal by Reiss Nelson in the 97th minute saw the coveted three points go to the Gunners.  

Match Prediction for Arsenal vs Bournemouth

Arsenal still has a chance for the championship title, but to secure it the "Gunners" cannot afford to drop any points. Bournemouth may have lost its motivation a couple of weeks ago, but it remains in good form and is fully capable of taking on the hosts at the Emirates. The Cherries have performed well away and kept a clean sheet in the last two rounds, so my bet is on the underdog's handicap 2.5.  

Total Goals Prediction

Bournemouth scored in each of the last 10 Premier League matches, whereas Arsenal's attacking potential speaks for itself. My prediction – both teams will score.