With three games left to play Arsenal remain emphatically in the title race and will be hoping to establish a four point cushion for themselves in Saturday's early game. Ideally for Mikel Arteta, they would not do so in quite as dramatic a fashion as last season when Reiss Nelson's 98th minute volley broke Bournemouth hearts.
That goal meant Arsenal have a record of played six, won six against Bournemouth, but they have rarely faced a version of the Cherries in quite the form they have reached over recent weeks. A 3-0 win over Brighton last time out means Andoni Iraola's side have achieved their record Premier League points tally, three more wins might not quite be enough to reach the European places, but Bournemouth will surely give it a go. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know.
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Viewing information
- Date: Saturday, May 4 | Time: 7:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Emirates Stadium -- London
- TV: USA | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
- Odds: Arsenal -550; Draw: +650; Bournemouth +1100
Storylines
Arsenal: The finish line is in sight for Arteta's side, who have responded to their setbacks against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich in comprehensive fashion, beating Wolves, Chelsea and Tottenham by an aggregate margin of 10-2. They survived an almighty fightback against the latter on Sunday in a manner that suggested the nerves that hit him in the final weeks of last season have been banished 12 months on.
Equally, it helps no end that this time out Arteta might have a fully fit squad to choose from. Jurrien Timber has twice featured for the Under-21s as he steps up his recovery from the ACL injury he suffered on the opening weekend, and has been training this week with a view to featuring in the squad to face Bournemouth.
Bournemouth: It is hard to believe that only a few months ago there was speculation over Andoni Iraola's future at the Vitality Stadium following a tough start to the season. Since their first win of the season against Burnley on October 28, Bournemouth rank fifth in the Premier League for goal difference and points and, by a sizeable margin, have the fourth best non-penalty expected goal difference in the league.
After a brief wobble at the start of the year, Bournemouth have really been rolling of late. Since the start of March, 10 league games have brought 20 points with only two defeats to Luton Town and Aston Villa. They might have left it too late to reach the European places but this will unquestionably be viewed as a year of progress on the south coast, one Iraola hopes to carry into 2024-25.
"It doesn't matter how we finish because next season normally is always more difficult because the level normally improves, especially in the Premier League where we see how the league is becoming more and more powerful," he said. "But I want to finish strong because I want to finish high in the table as well."
Prediction
This is unlikely to be easy for Arsenal but they have shown over recent weeks that they are ready to rise to the occasion. They might just do so again. PICK: Arsenal 2, Bournemouth 1
