Arsenal v Bournemouth: Gunners to be breached in nervy clash | OneFootball

Arsenal hope to take a step towards the league title by beating Bournemouth

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Gunners back on track thanks to Lisbon win

It wasn't a comfortable evening for Arsenal at the Jose Alvalade against Sporting, but a 1-0 first-leg win gives them a great chance of reaching the Champions League semi-finals. David Raya made some vital saves to maintain parity, before Gabriel Martinelli teed up Kai Havertz for a stoppage-time winner.

Given Arsenal's abject performance against Manchester City in the final of the League Cup and their FA Cup exit at Championship side Southampton, the victory was desperately needed to stop the rot. For all the negativity about Arsenal's style and the collapse of a quadruple that was never realistic, Mikel Arteta's men are still on course for an extraordinary campaign.

Arsenal haven't won the Premier League since 2004, and yet they go into this weekend nine points clear at the top. They have the best attacking and defensive records in the division, and a win at closest challengers Manchester City next weekend could effectively seal the title.

The Gunners have never won the Champions League, but they are potentially three good results away from the final. They are the current favourites on the Exchange to win the Champions League at 3.35, a shade shorter than Bayern Munich.

Arsenal have won their last four Premier League matches, and their top-flight record at the Emirates this term is excellent, with 12 wins from 15 and only one defeat against Manchester United. If you include last season, it's just three Premier League home defeats in the last 34 games.

Arteta hopes to welcome back Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber from injury. After combining for the winner against Sporting as substitutes, Martinelli and Havertz are pushing for starts.

Iraola on the cusp of the extraordinary

Andoni Iraola has made a coaching career out of upsetting the odds. At second-tier side Mirandes, he reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. At Rayo Vallecano he secured a series of excellent results against the big hitters. At Bournemouth, he has kept the Cherries on track despite consistently losing his best players.

In the last two transfer windows alone, Iraola lost defenders Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen and Ilya Zabarnyi, while superstar Antoine Semenyo was lured to Manchester City and forward Dango Outtara went to Brentford.

Despite those departures, Iraola has kept the Cherries within six points of the top six. Remarkably, Bournemouth have lost just seven of their 31 Premier League matches. They have drawn a staggering 15 times, and their last five top-flight outings have ended level. It is this coaching wizardry that will make Iraola hot property when his contract expires in the summer.

Bournemouth haven't lost since the first week of January, which was a 3-2 home defeat against Arsenal. On the road, they have won two and drawn four of their last six, and they haven't lost a Premier League away game in 2026.

Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook are hoping to shake off knocks, while Junior Kroupi is expected to be fit, despite having to pull out of the France U21 squad.

Cherries can strike at the Emirates

We can back Both Teams To Score here at 1.9, and that seems a fair price to me. Bournemouth have scored in 13 of their last 16 games in the league, and the reverse fixture saw the Cherries score twice. As for Arsenal, they have conceded at least once in six of their last ten Premier League home matches.

Visitors to apply the pressure

Iraola's teams are physical, and Bournemouth are no exception. They have picked up 71 yellow cards in the Premier League this season, with only Brighton and Tottenham being cautioned more often. In the reverse fixture the Cherries collected three bookings, and we can back that to happen again on the Sportsbook at 11/8. Arsenal are in the top half of the league when it comes to fouls drawn and yellow cards drawn.

We can also put together a 4/1 treble on the Bet Builder if we back BTTS, Bournemouth to pick up three cards and Bournemouth +2 on the Handicap. Bournemouth have only lost by a multiple-goal margin four times in the league this season, and only one of those has been across the last 20 top-flight games. Arsenal have only won by more than one goal in three of their last 11 competitive matches.