Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
On May 3, 2025, Emirates Stadium in London will host a Premier League Matchday 36 clash between Arsenal and Bournemouth. Given the current circumstances, this fixture offers a prime opportunity for the visitors to snatch valuable points.
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Arsenal
Arsenal approach this game with no pressing league objectives—the focus for Mikel Arteta and his men is now firmly set on the Champions League. After a narrow 1-0 home defeat to PSG in the first leg of the semi-finals, this upcoming fixture against Bournemouth feels more like an extra hurdle in an already congested schedule. All eyes, both among players and the coaching staff, are on the return leg in Paris, which will determine whether this season becomes truly special for the Gunners or ends trophyless yet again.
It’s safe to assume Arteta will field a semi-rotated squad—resting key players and minimizing injury risk ahead of the season’s most pivotal match. Recent Premier League results underline Arsenal’s fading domestic ambitions: just one win in their last four outings—a 4-0 victory over Ipswich—while the other three matches ended in draws.
Bournemouth
To date, Bournemouth have never managed to beat Arsenal twice in a single Premier League season. But history could be rewritten: if Andoni Iraola’s side can take all three points from the Emirates, they’ll carve their names in club lore. Back in the first round, Bournemouth triumphed 2-0 at home, aided by Arsenal going down to ten men after William Saliba’s 30th-minute red card—a moment that proved decisive.
Now, Bournemouth are in the thick of the race for eighth place—a position that could theoretically earn a spot in the Conference League. Their fate hinges on the outcome of the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace. Should City win and also qualify for Europe via the league, the Conference League berth would pass to the Premier League’s eighth-placed team.
After a rough patch, Bournemouth are slowly pulling themselves out of crisis. They’re unbeaten in four straight matches, showing signs of stabilization. Although just one of those games ended in victory and the rest were draws, the upward trajectory is apparent.
Currently, the Cherries trail eighth place by only a single point with four games left to play. However, Andoni Iraola’s men face a tough run-in: after this trip to the Emirates, they’ll go up against Aston Villa and Manchester City—both still battling for Champions League spots. In such a scenario, picking up points consistently will be a major challenge. Against this backdrop, Arsenal—unmotivated and already mentally preparing for their Paris showdown—might actually be the most accessible opponent.
Probable line-ups
- Arsenal: Raya, Zinchenko, Saliba, Kiwior, White, Thomas, Jorginho, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Merino, Sterling
- Bournemouth: Kepa, Kerkez, Zabarnyi, Heysen, Smith, Adams, Scott, Kluivert, Semenyo, Evanilson, Ouattara
Match facts and H2H
- Bournemouth’s main striker, the Brazilian Evanilson, was shown a straight red card in the previous round. However, the club promptly filed an appeal, and the Premier League’s disciplinary committee upheld it. As a result, the suspension was overturned, and Evanilson will be available for the away match against Arsenal.
- Arsenal have failed to win any of their last three home games at the Emirates across all competitions, conceding in each of them.
- Bournemouth have drawn each of their last three away matches, showing consistency and organization on the road.
- Bournemouth rank among the Premier League’s top 5 teams for points won away from home.
- Since the 2015/16 season, Arsenal have won all seven home Premier League matches against Bournemouth. The Emirates remains a notoriously tough venue for the Cherries.
Prediction
Yes, the head-to-head history at the Emirates doesn’t favor the Cherries, but given Arsenal’s lack of motivation in the league, their looming second leg against PSG, likely squad rotation, and Bournemouth’s current form, the “Bournemouth double chance” (X2) at odds of 1.8 looks like a sound bet.
