Bournemouth vs. Arsenal: Key Insights and Lineup Breakdown

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A Historic Clash: Bournemouth vs. Arsenal

Two friends, once teammates in their youth, will now face off as opponents when Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth takes on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal this Saturday evening. Their journey began in the Basque footballing hotbed of Berio in San Sebastián, where they played together throughout their school days. While Arteta's managerial future seemed clear from an early age, Iraola’s path to prominence was less certain.

“I remember Mikel being the kid that people came and said: ‘Who is that?!’” their former teammate Jon Ayerbe recalled years later. “Andoni maybe didn’t stand out but he was elegant.” Despite their different trajectories, both have found success in the Premier League dugouts, with Arteta currently enjoying higher acclaim. However, Iraola remains a respected figure, and his former teammate has no doubts about his capabilities.

“We know how good of a team they are, how they can threaten you from every angle, so we know the difficulty of the game tomorrow,” Iraola warned. Yet, Bournemouth’s recent form and 15th-place standing in the league suggest that respect may not be fully warranted.

Match Details

• Location: Bournemouth, England
• Stadium: Vitality Stadium
• Date: Saturday, Jan. 3
• Kick-off Time: 5:30 p.m. GMT / 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. PT
• Referee: Chris Kavanagh
• VAR: Paul Tierney

Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

• Bournemouth: 2 wins
• Arsenal: 3 wins
• Draws: 0
• Last Meeting: Arsenal 1–2 Bournemouth (May 3, 2025) – Premier League

Current Form (All Competitions)

Bournemouth
- Chelsea 2–2 Bournemouth - 30/12/25
- Brentford 4–1 Bournemouth - 27/12/25
- Bournemouth 1–1 Burnley - 20/12/25
- Man Utd 4–4 Bournemouth - 15/12/25
- Bournemouth 0–0 Chelsea - 6/12/25

Arsenal
- Arsenal 4–1 Aston Villa - 30/12/25
- Arsenal 2–1 Brighton - 27/12/25
- Arsenal 1–1 (8–7 pens) Crystal Palace - 23/12/25
- Everton 0–1 Arsenal - 20/12/25
- Arsenal 2–1 Wolves - 13/12/25

How to Watch

United Kingdom
- Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra, NOW TV

United States
- NBC, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW, Peacock

Canada
- DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada

Mexico
- FOX One

Team News

Bournemouth’s focus this weekend is on Antoine Semenyo, the team’s leading scorer and long-throw specialist. Although he is reportedly close to a move to Manchester City, Iraola confirmed that he will play against Arsenal. Meanwhile, Julián Araujo, the right back, will not feature after being loaned to Celtic. Tyler Adams remains sidelined until February, with Ben Gannon-Doak and Veljko Milosavljevic expected to return soon.

Bournemouth Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal (4-2-3-1)
- Petrović; Smith, Diakité, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Tavernier; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed that Declan Rice returned to training on Friday. However, his knee injury remains a concern, and there is speculation about whether he will be risked for the match. Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori are also out, but Arteta’s injury updates are not always definitive.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth (4-3-3)
- Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Eze; Madueke, Gyökeres, Martinelli.

Score Prediction

While Arteta praised Iraola’s work, some Bournemouth fans may question that sentiment given the team’s recent struggles. Bournemouth has gone 10 games without a win, conceding multiple goals in several matches. If Arsenal can replicate their performance against Aston Villa, they could exploit Bournemouth’s defensive weaknesses.

Prediction: Bournemouth 1–3 Arsenal

Additional Coverage

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• Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Bournemouth: Arteta Tempted Into Rotation
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