After suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Emirates, Arsenal must now shift their attention back to the Premier League, where they host Bournemouth on Saturday in a crucial domestic fixture.
Arsenal vs Bournemouth Preview
Competition: Premier League – Matchweek 35
Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025
Kick-off Time: 5:30 PM BST, 6:30 PM CEST, 12:30 PM ET
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
The Gunners have 4 league games remaining and sit 2nd on the table with 67 points, 5 ahead of third-placed Newcastle. However, any further slip-ups could put their runner-up position in jeopardy. With the Champions League second leg looming large in Paris, Mikel Arteta’s men will have to juggle priorities carefully.
Despite going unbeaten in their last two home games, both ended in frustrating draws—a recurring theme this season. Arsenal’s 13 league draws is the highest tally in the division, a stat that has allowed Liverpool to gallop away with the title with minimal resistance.
Injuries
Arsenal: Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Riccardo Calafiori, Jorginho, Kai Havertz
Bournemouth: Hamed Traore, Luis Sinisterra, according to Livescore.com
Arsenal will be eager to regain momentum and avoid distraction, but Bournemouth could pose a serious challenge. The Cherries, currently 10th with 50 points, are hunting a top-half finish and have already shown they can trouble the Gunners. They defeated Arsenal 2-0 earlier this season and could once again exploit the London side’s split focus.
Form-wise, Arsenal have won 2 and drawn 3 of their last 5 league matches, while Bournemouth have 1 win, 3 draws, and a loss over the same span.
In recent meetings, Arsenal have won 7 of their last 9 competitive clashes with Bournemouth, drawn 1, and lost 1—ironically, that loss came earlier this season.
As Arteta contemplates rotation ahead of the PSG return leg, Bournemouth might just sniff a chance to steal a point at the Emirates.
