Premier League leaders Arsenal begin their 2026 campaign on Saturday evening with a trip to the south coast to face Bournemouth, as the Gunners look to carry their late-2025 momentum into the New Year.
Mikel Arteta’s side arrive fresh from a dominant 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in midweek, while Bournemouth’s spirited display away to Chelsea still ended without a win, extending their difficult run in the league.
Despite being without Declan Rice, Arsenal initially found life uncomfortable against Aston Villa on Wednesday, but Gabriel Magalhaes’ trademark corner goal opened the floodgates after the break. Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus added further goals as the Gunners emphatically underlined their title credentials.
The victory ensured Arsenal finished 2025 top of the Premier League and with more league points than any other side over the calendar year. While Unai Emery’s refusal to shake Arteta’s hand dominated the post-match narrative, Arsenal’s manager was far more concerned with the ruthlessness his team finally showed in front of goal.
That result made it six consecutive wins in all competitions for Arsenal and four in a row in the league. However, their away form has been slightly less convincing, with only one victory in their last four Premier League matches on the road. Encouragingly, that success came at Everton, and Arsenal have scored in 12 of their 13 away fixtures across all competitions this season.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, once again demonstrated their attacking intent at Stamford Bridge but were left frustrated after a breathless 2-2 draw with Chelsea. All four goals arrived inside the opening half-hour as Andoni Iraola’s side led, trailed, and then fought back.
That result stretched Bournemouth’s winless run in the Premier League to 10 matches, a sharp downturn since their October victory over Nottingham Forest had sparked talk of a push towards European places. Five draws and five defeats since then have seen the Cherries slide down the table, although they still retain a nine-point cushion above the relegation zone.
Iraola’s stock has taken a hit during this run, and Bournemouth have also struggled at home recently, scoring just once in their last three league matches at the Vitality Stadium.
Even so, the Spaniard can take confidence from last season, when Bournemouth completed a historic league double over Arsenal, including a 2-0 win in this fixture. Arsenal, however, have scored in eight of their previous nine visits to Bournemouth.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Declan Rice was absent from Arsenal’s win over Villa with a knee issue but was present on the sidelines, and Arteta has played down concerns, suggesting the midfielder could return this weekend. Gabriel Magalhaes is also expected to be fit after suffering late cramp on Wednesday.There are, however, confirmed absentees for the visitors. Cristhian Mosquera is sidelined with an ankle injury, Riccardo Calafiori is unavailable with an unspecified problem, and teenage prospect Max Dowman continues his recovery from an ankle setback.
Gabriel Jesus’ goal off the bench against Villa may earn him a starting role ahead of Viktor Gyokeres, while the return of Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Ben White to the matchday squad in midweek has further strengthened Arteta’s options.
For Bournemouth, speculation surrounded Antoine Semenyo’s future after Tuesday’s draw, but Iraola has confirmed that the winger will be available despite strong interest from Manchester City.
Ryan Christie, Ben Gannon-Doak, Veljko Milosavljevic and Tyler Adams remain sidelined through injury, while Lewis Cook faces a late fitness test due to a neck problem.
Possible Lineups
Bournemouth:Petrovic; Smith, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Tavernier; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson
Arsenal:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
EXPERT PREDICTION
Bournemouth 1-2 Arsenal
