Arsenal will hope to avoid a nervy ending to the season by going for all three points when they host Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday’s early kick-off.
Over the years, the Premier League has produced several dramatic title run-ins — marked by slumps and slips, late collapses, unexpected twists, challengers overturning point deficits to seize top spot, and leaders holding their forte to clinch the title.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United endured a late title collapse in 1992 after losing their final two games of the season — a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United followed by a 3-0 loss to Everton. Those results proved decisive as Leeds United went on to win the league at their expense.
Most memorably, Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip against Chelsea that led to a 2-0 loss, followed by a dramatic 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace — a game famously dubbed ‘Crystanbul’ after the Eagles came back from 3-0 down — saw Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool side squander a five-point lead at the top, eventually finishing second to Manchester City, who clinched the 2014 title.
With the current season nearing its conclusion, Arsenal — a side that have faltered in recent run-ins over the last three campaigns — appear determined to avoid another slip, especially with City in second place, and a win against Bournemouth could prove crucial to their title hopes.
However, having lost two of their last domestic games, firstly in the Carabao Cup final to City and next to Southampton in the FA Cup, this clash is certainly not a walk in the park, but their win over Sporting in the UEFA Champions League should give them confidence.
They will hope to use that momentum to secure a fifth-straight Premier League win for the third time this season, something they have only previously achieved in 2013-14 and 2022-23.
And given the fact they play a day earlier than title challengers Man City, they have a chance to open up a 12-point advantage at the top of the table that would edge them closer to a first title in 22 years.
On the other hand, Andoni Iraola is targeting a record-breaking unbeaten stretch in the Premier League with Bournemouth. The Cherries are currently on an 11-game unbeaten run, although seven of those matches have finished level, including each of their last five.
The Cherries are four points adrift of seventh-placed Brentford and remain unbeaten in their last five away fixtures, even though the most recent two ended goalless.
They have also developed a habit of troubling Arsenal, securing two victories since last season, including a first-ever win at the Emirates Stadium. However, the Gunners won in their most recent meeting, securing a 3–2 triumph at the Vitality Stadium in January.
Team news
The involvement of Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard in this clash depends on a late fitness test, as both players picked up fresh concerns against Sporting.
Mikel Merino remains Arsenal’s longest absentee, while Arteta is expected to provide further updates on Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber, who have not been declared fully fit at the time of writing.
However, the North Londoners are boosted by the returns of Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes. At the same time, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz remain in contention after coming off the bench to influence the win over Sporting.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, will hope that talisman Eli Junior Kroupi avoids any injury scare to be fit for the trip to London after withdrawing from international duties with the France U21s.
Iraola will be optimistic about the returns of Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook to his squad, although neither has been declared fully fit at the time of writing.
Julio Soler and Justin Kluivert remain out of contention, with both players recovering from thigh and knee injuries, respectively.
Expected line-ups
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Havertz, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyökeres, Martinelli.
Bournemouth: Petrovic; Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Christie, Scott; Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson.
How to watch/stream
Arsenal vs Bournemouth will be televised live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, with the coverage starting at 11 am BST. Subscribers can watch the game live online via the HBO Max app or website or stream it directly to their smart TV.
Supporters without an active subscription may need to rely on post-match highlights once they are officially released.
However, some viewers sometimes turn to unofficial online broadcasts that appear around kick-off time to follow the game live.
These unlicensed streams circulate across various online platforms, though they remain unauthorised, unsupported, and not approved in any way.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-2 Bournemouth: Recording the highest number of direct attacking sequences in the Premier League this campaign, Bournemouth (65, 5 goals) and Arsenal (64, 6 goals) stand out, with the Cherries’ seven against United in their previous outing matching the most registered in a single league fixture during the 2025–26 season.
Hence, Arsenal would be aware of Bournemouth’s transitional threat and will work to limit them, so it could be a cagey game for the Gunners, who also have one eye on the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.
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