Preview: Bournemouth vs Arsenal – prediction, team news, lineups

Having finished 2025 as they intend to start 2026, Premier League leaders Arsenal head south to face Bournemouth on Saturday, in their inaugural match of the new year.

The Gunners were unleashed in a 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa in their midweek affair, while the Cherries’ valiant effort against Chelsea was not enough to end their winless streak.

Match Preview

One of Villa’s 11 victims during the Lions’ magnificent winning run, a Declan Rice-less Arsenal initially found things difficult against Unai Emery’s side in midweek, but Gabriel Magalhaes’ customary corner sparked a second-half embarrassment for the Emirates.

Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus also helped each other score goals as Arsenal laid down the biggest ever scorer in the Premier League title race, ensuring they would enter the new year looking down on every other team in the English football pyramid.

Emery’s handshake snub made the post-match headlines, but the incident was insignificant to Mikel Arteta, whose side refreshingly converted his numerous chances into multiple goals and finished 2025 with the most points won of any Premier League team (83).

The win over Villa also marked Arsenal’s sixth victory in all competitions – and their fourth in a row in the Premier League – although a record of one win in their last four top-flight away matches does not paint the prettiest picture ahead of the trip south.

However, that triumph came in Arsenal’s last trip on the road against Everton, and the visitors have found the back of the net in 12 of their 13 away matches in all tournaments this season, only being blanked by Liverpool in August.

© Imago / IMAGO / Professional sports images

Also scoring in all but one of their away games in 2025-26, Bournemouth continued their commitment to entertainment at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, but without the three points they so desperately crave.

Andoni Iraola’s men took the lead, gave it away, fell behind and clawed their way back in a frenzied race. 2-2 draw against Chelseafor whom all goals were scored for and against before the 30th minute, but the Cherries’ painful winless streak now extends into double figures.

Since beating Nottingham Forest at the end of October – when a Champions League charge seemed plausible – Bournemouth have recorded five draws and five defeats in the top flight to plummet down the table. Premier League standingseven though they are still nine points ahead of the relegation zone.

Nonetheless, Bournemouth’s disastrous run has done Iraola’s job prospects no favors, and the hosts have also scored just one goal in their last three home games, a grim statistic ahead of Antoine Semenyo’s expected departure.

Iraola did, however, lead Bournemouth to a historic double against Arsenal in the 2024-25 Premier League season – including a 2-0 success in that exact match – but the Gunners have scored in each of their other eight previous visits to the Vitality.

Bournemouth Premier League form:

Arsenal form in the Premier League:

Arsenal form (all competitions):

Team News

The injured Rice cut a beaming figure on the Emirates sidelines on Tuesday night despite being ruled out before kick-off with a knee injury, but Arteta downplayed the severity of his worry and expressed hope he would be fit for the weekend.

Goalscorer Gabriel is also expected to be good to go despite suffering a suspected cramp late on, and the Brazilian’s return to the first XI was one of the few welcome developments for Arsenal in midweek, the others being Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Ben White.

However, Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) and Riccardo Calafiori (unspecified) will both need a recovery ahead of Saturday’s showdown, while teenage phenom Max Dowman – who turned 16 on New Year’s Eve – is still out with an ankle injury.

Doing in a minute what Viktor Gyokeres couldn’t do in 77 against Villa, Jesus has surely put his name in the hat for a start against the struggling Swede this weekend, but changes should otherwise be few and far between.

On the Bournemouth side, many were wondering if Semenyo would bid farewell to the Cherries faithful on a full-time basis on Tuesday, but Iraola was adamant that the Manchester City winger would be available to face the Gunners this weekend.

That’s more than can be said for the injured Ben Gannon-Doak (thigh), Veljko Milosavljevic (knee) and Tyler Adams (knee), while Lewis Cook (neck) and Ryan Christie (knee) will both require late fitness tests.

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:

Petrovich; Smith, Diakité, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Tavernier; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson

Possible Arsenal starting lineup:

Raya; Wood, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Trossard

We say: Bournemouth 1-3 Arsenal

If Man City are prepared to delay Semenyo’s signing for the Ghanaian to face Arsenal, only they and Bournemouth know, but the £65million man’s presence is unlikely to make much difference on Saturday night.

Against Villa, the Gunners finally posted the emphatic scoreline that their performances suggested was the order of the day, and Arteta’s side should expose an Adams-less Bournemouth to start 2026 on a high.

For data analysis of most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match, please click here.