Premier League: Arsenal Can Turn Up the Heat With Win Over Bournemouth

Bournemouth vs Arsenal

Arsenal will aim to ramp up the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League by securing their sixth league victory in their upcoming visit to Bournemouth this Saturday at the Vitality Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s men are currently third in the English top-flight standings with 17 points, but they’re level with the second-seeded Manchester City and only trail by one point against table leaders Liverpool. Depending on this weekend’s Premier League 2024 results, Arsenal could reclaim the top spot.

Bournemouth, on the other hand, will look to sneak into the Top 10 with a victory at home. Currently, Andoni Iraola’s side is the 13^th seed with eight points, level with West Ham United and Manchester United.

Despite the lopsided pre-game SBOTOP betting odds, this game between Bournemouth and Arsenal should provide enough entertainment for avid football fans.

 

Talking Points

Arsenal’s frontline depth will be tested

Arsenal have a few injury concerns to deal with this weekend, as Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli are all listed as questionable to play against Bournemouth.

Saka was subbed off during the second half of England’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League loss to Greece because of a hamstring injury last Thursday. The young winger hopes to be back as soon as possible, but he will be evaluated by his team first.

Havertz withdrew from the Germany national team ahead of their UEFA Nations League game against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands due to a knee injury, while Martinelli is dealing with a calf problem after playing for Brazil.

Fortunately for the Gunners, they have enough depth to see this through if they won’t be able to start Saka, Havertz, and Martinelli, as Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Raheem Sterling are ready to step in.

Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard is expected to remain as the Gunners’ notable long-term absentee. The team captain is recovering from an ankle injury during Norway’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League win over Austria last month, and there’s no firm timeline for his return.

 

Semenyo stepping up for Bournemouth

The Cherries have fairly held their own this season, even after they sold their top scorer Dominic Solanke to Spurs during the summer transfer window. They’ve had a couple of high-scoring wins this season – a 3-2 win over Everton in August and a 3-1 win over Southampton at the beginning of October.

Antoine Semenyo played a huge role in those victories, scoring two goals in those two games. As of this writing, the 24-year-old forward is Bournemouth’s top scorer this season with three goals and one assist.

Semenyo was handed a five-year contract extension this summer, and he is showing Bournemouth why he deserved it. He has been electric on the right wing, forming a solid partnership alongside Evanilson, Marcus Tavernier, and Dango Ouattara.

Unlike Arsenal, Bournemouth don’t have fresh injury concerns, as Tyler Adams is only their long-term absentee due to a back injury. Andoni Iraola could likely maintain the same starting XI as they had against Leicester City.

 

History

Bournemouth have lost 11 of their last 14 Premier League matches against Arsenal. The three other games were a 3-3 draw in January 2017, a 2-1 victory in January 2018, and a 1-1 result in December 2019 – all played at the Vitality Stadium.

Since Bournemouth’s return to the English top-flight in 2022, Arsenal have won all four of their matches against the Cherries with an aggregate tally of 13-2 while scoring at least three goals each time.

The Cherries are winless in their last 11 matches against sides in the top half of the Premier League table since beating Manchester United 3-0 in December 2023 (D4, L7).

If Arsenal win on Saturday, they will become the second team after Liverpool (2,065) to reach the 2,000 top-flight wins threshold.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2024 odds are unsurprisingly in favour of the visitors for this contest. Arsenal are priced to win at 1.68, while Bournemouth are 4.36 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.62 in the 1X2 market.

Our recommended bet above is safe since Arsenal have outscored their last three opponents (in all competitions) by at least two goals. Moreover, you may also want to go for alternatives like Total Goals 2-3 at 1.96, Over 2.50 at 1.73, Over 2.75 at 1.93, or even Over 3.00 at 2.21.

Correct Scores of 2-0, 2-1, and 3-0 in favour of the Gunners are priced at 8.40, 7.30, and 14.00, respectively. The only way for the Cherries to have a chance to get at least one point is if they turn this into a low-scoring affair.

   

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