Football
Bournemouth vs Arsenal Preview: Odds, Tips & Prediction
Date: Saturday, January 3 Venue: Vitality Stadium Kick-off: 5:30pm GMT Bournemouth welcome Arsenal to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, January 3, looking to kickstart the New Year with a bang. Although they completed the league double over the Gunners last season, winning home and away, they have fallen off a cliff this term. Although the Cherries are in no immediate danger of going down, they haven’t tasted victory in the league since a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the end of October. Arsenal, meanwhile, faltered against Aston Villa on their travels, but they have been keeping their noses in front in the title race. SportsBoom has dissected all the angles leading into this game. Based on what we found from the best football betting sites, we have underlined our Bournemouth vs Arsenal preview with pre-match betting odds.
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Declan Rice scores Arsenal's goal/Getty Images
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Arsenal Heavy Favourites
Ahead of this game, we’ve checked in on the latest match odds to see where online betting sites are leaning.
Home: 9/2 (5.50) – 18.2%
Draw: 11/4 (3.75) – 26.7%
Away: 8/15 (1.53) – 65.2%
*Odds courtesy of Betfred, subject to change.
Head-to-Head Record
We’ve flicked through the archives and pulled up the latest results from clashes between these two sides. Premier League head-to-head records are essential for guiding football betting strategies.
Last Five Meetings (Premier League)
- 03/05/25: Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth
- 19/10/24: Bournemouth 2-0 Arsenal
- 04/05/24: Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth
- 30/09/23: Bournemouth 0-4 Arsenal
- 04/03/23: Arsenal 3-2 Bournemouth
Bournemouth Current Form – LDDDL
Compared to last season, when Bournemouth flourished and finished ninth, it has been a different tale this season. Without a win in the league since October, the Cherries have fallen on tough times.
They seem to have a soft centre, and in the 4-1 thrashing away to Brentford, they were continually exposed down the middle, with Kevin Schade dishing out the pain by scoring a hat-trick for the Bees.
Andoni Iraola saw his stock go up last term, and while his side isn’t in immediate threat of relegation, they need to start picking up points.
Key Players to Watch
- Antoine Semenyo
Where would Bournemouth be without Antoine Semenyo? The Frenchman has fired home nine league goals this term, and he can bully teams. Powerful and hard to shake off, Semenyo could ask some questions of the Arsenal backline. - Evanilson
Despite only scoring two league goals this season, Evanilson gives Bournemouth a different dimension, and he links up the play well. Arsenal will need to keep tabs on him during the 90 minutes. - Marcus Tavernier
The midfielder has been an ever-present feature of the Bournemouth starting XI, and he has been instrumental, registering four league goals. He is the kind of player who can be a difference maker.
Bournemouth Team News
Bournemouth are still without four players, including Tyler Adams, who suffered a ligament injury against Manchester United last month, so he could be out for some time.
Arsenal Current Form – WLWWW
Arsenal aren’t letting their foot off the gas in the pursuit of the title. Yes, there have been some nervy moments, as shown against Wolves and Brighton in recent weeks, but they are getting the job done.
Arteta’s side have also been extremely stingy in defence, conceding just 11 goals, and they could well break the record set by Chelsea in 2004/05 (15) for fewest goals shipped across a single campaign.
Back to the here and now, and Arsenal will fancy their chances against a side they’ve won four of their past six league clashes against.
Key Players to Watch
- Martin Odegaard
Although his season has been disrupted by injury, Martin Odegaard pulls the strings from midfield, and he’s a classy operator. The way he shaped his body and slotted the ball home against Brighton attests to this. - Bukayo Saka
While there have been suggestions that the Gunners are over-reliant on Bukayo Saka, he produces week in, week out, laying on chances for his team-mates, and he is selfless. He’s scored five times this term, but he could add to that tally against the Cherries. - Declan Rice
Perhaps the complete midfielder, Declan Rice ticks every box, including prowess from set-pieces and raking long passes. The England star could well come to the fore against Bournemouth.
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal have had to dig deep without one of their top centre-backs in Gabriel, who has been out injured for the past few weeks, while Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori could also face a period on the sidelines. Arteta will have to make do with the players he has available at the moment.
Predicted Line-Ups
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1)
Petrovic; Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert, Cook, Scott, Jimenez, Tavernier, Semenyo, Kroupi
Arsenal (4-3-3)
Raya; Rice, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Zubimendi, Merino, Saka, Gyokeres; Trossard
Suggested Bets
Premier League sportsbooks are well stocked with lots of pre-match markets, and we’ve assessed some football betting tips worth exploring.
Arsenal to Win: Although the Gunners lost both their meetings with Bournemouth last term, Arteta’s side is a different beast this term, and they are looking virtually unstoppable. (4/7 with Midnite)
Over 2.5 Goals – This fixture has seen the Over 2.5 goals line hit in five of the past six league showdowns, so this seems a realistic target. (8/11 with Unibet)
First Team to Score – Arsenal are usually good frontrunners, and they’ve taken the lead in three of their past four games with Bournemouth. This is worth jumping on. (40/85 with Spreadex)
Value Bets
Anytime Assist – Bukayo Saka: Saka has usually woven his influence in games against Bournemouth, scoring two in his past four outings. However, to mix things up, we’ve been tempted by the anytime assist line. (12/5 with Bet442)
Anytime Goalscorer – Antoine Semenyo: It’s fair to assert that Semenyo has been lethal this term, and perhaps the anytime scorer price should be a bit shorter. (333/100 with Copybet)
Winning Margin – Arsenal by 2 Goals: Although the Gunners lost on their previous visit to the South Coast, the time before they romped to a 4-0 victory. To be a bit safer, a two-goal margin seems a good shout. (17/5 with Sporting Index)
Prediction: Arsenal to Win
Last season, a trip to the Vitality Stadium was a daunting challenge for visiting teams. Okay, it might be a little less so this season, given where Bournemouth find themself in the table, but nothing is guaranteed in the Premier League. Arsenal, as we have seen, have largely been a cut above, and they continue to churn out the wins. They should have a bit too much for the Cherries, and they could deliver another three points to aid their pursuit of the title.
A dedicated sports lover with a wealth of experience in the sports betting world, Marc Strydom has mostly worked as an Editor-in-chief of a sports betting newspaper in South Africa. Marc’s enthusiasm covers many sports, though he is most passionate about football and the NBA. He has covered a wide range of topics on multiple respected platforms.
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