Arsenal vs. Bournemouth: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Arsenal are welcomed back to Premier League action by Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, with the Gunners having the chance to move 12 points clear at the top of the table.

Mikel Arteta’s title hopefuls have been busy since they last appeared in the top flight on either side of the international break. While there were disappointments in both domestic cups, succumbing to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final before losing 2–1 at Southampton in the FA Cup quarterfinals, Arsenal bounced back by claiming an impressive 1–0 victory at Sporting CP.

The north Londoners mustered little in possession and needed David Raya to make one or two outstanding saves, but prevailing in Lisbon is no mean feat. Sporting hadn’t lost on home soil since last August.

Now, they have the chance to build what could be an unassailable advantage at the summit before City take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

A lunchtime kickoff against Bournemouth is unlikely to be a walk in the park, though, with nothing coming easy for this Arsenal team. The Cherries are unbeaten since these two met in the reverse fixture on Jan. 3, when the Gunners ran out 3–2 winners.

Arsenal vs. Bournemouth Score Prediction

Gunners Leave Door Ajar

William Saliba — Arsenal are set to grind their way to the title. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

Arsenal seemingly took a giant stride towards their first league title in over 20 years on the last Premier League matchday when their euphoric win over Everton was followed by Man City’s draw at West Ham United.

However, their travails in the domestic cups since have sparked fears of a collapse, and a nine-point lead has never felt so precarious at this late juncture. Tuesday’s gritty victory may have restored some confidence, but the Emirates is bound to be nervy when Bournemouth come to town.

The visitors are masterful agents of chaos who function as the antithesis to Mikel Arteta’s penchant for control.

Unbeaten Cherries: Andoni Iraola’s side have proven to be mightily difficult to beat in 2026, overcoming a dire run to conclude 2025. The visitors are 11 games unbeaten in the Premier League, and have drawn a league-leading 15 times in the top flight this season.
Bournemouth’s Success Last Season: While Arsenal prevailed in the previous meeting at the start of the year, Bournemouth completed the double over Mikel Arteta’s team last season. Their lengthy rest and success at the Emirates last season should inspire confidence heading into Saturday’s game.
Midweek Distractions: While Iraola’s squad are chomping at the bit to return to action, Arsenal are in the midst of an end-of-season slog on two fronts. This fixture comes in between their two outings with Sporting CP in the Champions League quarterfinals, likely impacting team selection, and Arsenal’s recent performances, especially in attack, suggest the barest of margins will decide Saturday’s encounter

Prediction: Arsenal 1–1 Bournemouth

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth

Arsenal lineup — Arteta could make an array of changes. | FotMob

This fixture arrives in between Arsenal’s Champions League quarterfinal with Sporting CP, and the Gunners have a job to finish on Wednesday night.

Thus, Arteta is poised to rotate his starting lineup handily on Saturday afternoon. A few staples should remain, like David Raya, William Saliba and Declan Rice, but the likes of Gabriel, Martín Zubimendi and Viktor Gyökeres could be preserved for the second leg.

There’s a chance of Jurriën Timber and Bukayo Saka both playing a part this weekend, but inclusions in the starting XI seem unlikely. In Saka’s place, Arteta could pivot to teenage sensation Max Dowman for his first Premier League start.

Mikel Merino is still absent after undergoing foot surgery at the start of the year, while Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapié are nursing calf and hamstring injuries, respectively.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Bournemouth (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly; Nørgaard, Rice, Havertz; Dowman, Jesus, Martinelli.

Bournemouth Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal

Bournemouth lineup — The visitors could welcome a couple of players back in midfield. | FotMob

The visitors’ injury situation hasn’t changed all that much despite the lengthy break.

Bournemouth are thus expected to still be without Justin Kluivert, who’s had a quiet campaign after starring last season, and Julio Soler.

There’s hope that midfielders Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook could be fit for the trip to north London, but Iraola will likely stick with a midfield combination of boyhood Spurs supporter Alex Scott and Ryan Christie. The former will be particularly keen to compromise Arsenal’s title charge this weekend.

Emerging star Eli Junior Kroupi has been added to the injury report with an unspecified issue, but the young forward should be O.K. to start at the Emirates.

Bournemouth predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Petrović; Jiménez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Christie, Scott; Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson.

What Time Does Arsenal vs. Bournemouth Kick Off?

Location: London, England
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Date: Saturday, April 11
Kick-off Time: 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT
Referee: Michael Oliver
VAR: Darren England

How to Watch Arsenal vs. Bournemouth on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Stream
United States	USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW
United Kingdom	TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, HBO Max
Canada	DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada
Mexico	Max Mexico

MORE: Full list of Premier League broadcasters around the world