Arsenal vs Bournemouth prediction: Gunners face title test from vibrant Cherries

Arsenal vs Bournemouth predictions

• Arsenal to win & both teams to score – 6/4 with Betway
• Thomas Partey over 0.5 shots on target – 7/2 with bet365
• Over 10.5 total corners – 4/5 with BetVictor

Arsenal’s title dream is alive and well as the season heads into May, but there’s no margin for error when they entertain high-flying Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime (12.30pm, TNT Sports 1). 

The Gunners lead the standings by a point from Manchester City but their championship fate is not in their own hands with the Cityzens having a game in hand.

All Mikel Arteta’s men can now do is win their three remaining games and hope for help from elsewhere. 

They have the opportunity to keep up the pressure by playing first this weekend, with City not in action until Saturday evening, and the Premier League odds make them strong favourites to defeat Bournemouth. 

The Cherries have only ever won one of the previous 13 league games against Arsenal and were soundly beaten 4-0 in the reverse fixture.

But the south coast side are a team transformed from the one Arsenal faced in September and broke the club record for points in a Premier League season by beating Brighton 3-0 last time out.

Bournemouth have upset potential, although betting sites aren’t giving them much chance at 15/1. Still, Arsenal will need to tread carefully to avoid a costly slip. 

Arsenal vs Bournemouth prediction: Gunners unlikely to squash Cherries

Bournemouth came close to denting Arsenal’s title ambitions last season, racing into a 2-0 lead at the Emirates Stadium, only for a 97th-minute Reiss Nelson goal to cap a remarkable second-half fightback by the Gunners.

Arteta and co will be keen to avoid a repeat of that nerve-shredding encounter and his team have shown enough control in matches over the course of the season to suggest they can secure a less dramatic victory. 

This season, no side has kept more clean sheets than Arsenal (16), five of which have come in the last seven games. However, in their most recent outing at Tottenham, they did show some signs of vulnerability. 

Leading 3-0 at half-time, the Gunners let their rivals back into the game and were left hanging on for a 3-2 success. They also gave up chances to Chelsea in their last home game before romping to a 5-0 win, while Aston Villa won 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium last month.

Arsenal have allowed four of their last six opponents to register over one expected goal and Bournemouth have shown recently they are good enough to expose any weaknesses. 

After failing to win any of his first nine league games, Andoni Iraola has transformed the Cherries into a highly effective unit. 

If the season had started in November, Bournemouth would be fifth and in 18-goal striker Dominic Solanke, they have a forward Arsenal may want to consider going into their striker hunt this summer.

Solanke leads a front line that’s only failed to score once in the league this season and pairing both teams to score with an Arsenal win is perhaps the best option for those looking to get behind the Gunners on football betting sites with little value to be found backing the north London side elsewhere.

For all Bournemouth’s great work this season, they’ve struggled against the top flight’s better teams, losing away to each of the current top five. They have also been beaten home and away by Liverpool and Manchester City, conceding 14 goals in the process.

Arsenal have won 13 of their last 15 league games and have shown far more of a championship-winning mentality than at this point last season. They are also scoring goals for fun with Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard in particularly good form. 

The Gunners should ultimately have too much quality for Bournemouth, but don’t be surprised if the visitors give Arsenal’s much-praised defence a thorough examination.

Arsenal vs Bournemouth prediction 1: Arsenal to win & both teams to score – 6/4 with Betway

Arsenal vs Bournemouth betting tip: Shot-happy Partey a good price

Arsenal’s last home game against Chelsea turned into something of a shooting gallery as the Gunners rifled in five goals from 27 shots. 

Ten different players registered efforts on goal that night and noticeably keener than most to open his account for the season was Thomas Partey, who had three attempts.

The Ghanaian has missed a large chunk of the campaign through injury but has started Arsenal’s last two games and looked as sharp as he has all season against Tottenham. 

His range of passing will be vital to beating the Bournemouth press and he should keep his place in the side. 

With that in mind, Partey’s price to have over 0.5 shots on target stands out on betting apps.

Bournemouth have conceded 15 or more shots in each of their last five away games and Partey may get chances, particularly from in and around the box.

There are more obvious bets regarding Arsenal’s shooting and goalscoring prospects, but Partey’s price of 7/2 to have a shot on target may end up being the best value wager.

Arsenal vs Bournemouth prediction 2: Thomas Partey over 0.5 shots on target – 7/2 with bet365

Arsenal vs Bournemouth tip: Count on corners

These two sides rank first and third when it comes to goals scored from corners this season with Havertz heading in Arsenal’s 16th goal from a corner against Tottenham. On the same day, Bournemouth were netting their 11th goal from a flag kick.

Cherries’ matches tended to generate a high number of corners, averaging 11.6 corners per game this season. Arsenal games aren’t close to that number at 9.6, but that’s down to them giving up the fewest corners (2.8) per 90 minutes on average.

However, teams have had a little more success winning corners against Arsenal recently with Tottenham (eight), Aston Villa (six) and Brighton (eight) earning way over the average.

Bournemouth shouldn’t be afraid to have a go at Arsenal given they’ve got nothing to lose and there’s every chance we see 11 or more corners generated in an open contest.

Arsenal vs Bournemouth prediction 3: Over 10.5 total corners – 4/5 with BetVictor

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