Bournemouth and Arsenal will both be desperate for victory when they meet in a Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, 25 November 2018, kick-off at 15h30 CAT.
Bournemouth has enjoyed a fantastic season thus far and come into the 13th round of matches placed sixth on the log – ahead of the likes of Manchester United, Everton and Leicester City, all of whom would expect to find themselves above the Cherries by this stage of the campaign.
Yet Eddie Howe’s team went into the international break on the back of successive defeats: 2-1 at home to Man United on November 3 and 2-1 away to Newcastle United a week later. If Bournemouth is to keep punching well above their weight and remain in the top six, they need to avoid a hat-trick of defeats.
Arsenal has also surprised with their progress in 2018/19, shrugging off a poor start under new manager Unai Emery to rack up a 16-game unbeaten run across all competitions. They are placed fifth on the log, four points ahead of Bournemouth but also just three points adrift of the Champions League places (top four).
Yet the Gunners have drawn three Premier League matches in a row, being held by Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers. They were particularly fortunate to get a point from the last game, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring a late equaliser after they had been outplayed for most of the 90 minutes by Wolves.
In news heading into the game, Bournemouth will be without right-back Adam Smith after the club confirmed he will be sidelined for three months due to a knee injury, while Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck is also out long-term with a serious ankle injury.
Bournemouth v Arsenal – Head-to-head, Premier League
In head-to-head terms, Bournemouth and Arsenal have met in six Premier League matches. The Gunners have claimed four wins compared to one for the Cherries, while one game has been drawn.
However, Bournemouth defeated the London side 2-1 at the Vitality in the teams’ most recent meeting, a league clash in January 2018, with goals from Callum Wilson and Jordan Ibe.
Matches Played 6
Bournemouth wins 1
Arsenal wins 4
Draws 1
Last five results (League only, most recent first)
| Bournemouth | L | L | W | D | W |
| Arsenal | D | D | D | W | W |