Bournemouth v Arsenal Predictions & Betting Odds – 3rd January 2017

Gunners to edge tough test

Bournemouth
Bournemouth © GEPA pictures

Bournemouth v Arsenal Betting Preview – Premier League 3rd January 7.45pm

The Cherries will sense their chance at claiming a big scalp in this one because the away form of Arsenal hasn’t been that terrific lately. The Cherries have been ticking over nicely on home soil lately and could raise their game to give the Gunners a good run for their money. Arsenal are in a position at the moment in the race for a top-four finish that they can’t afford to be throwing more points away on the road. Can the Gunners shake off their losing streak on the road to claim a good three points for themselves?

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Bournemouth v Arsenal Betting Tips

The Cherries have been going along well on home soil this season in the Premier League and they can’t be unhappy with their returns from a W5 D1 L3 record. They have won two of their last three there now in the south coast and they gave themselves a New Year’s boost on the weekend when they travelled to Swansea to take a 3-0 win and that snapped back to back league losses for them. So they needed that. When they went to the Emirates to face Arsenal back in November, the Cherries fell to a 3-1 defeat. However, Callum Wilson slotted home a penalty which was Bournemouth’s first ever competitive goal against Arsenal. Wilson is trading at a price of 9/4 in the Bet365 anytime goalscorer market for this one with Benik Afobe at 5/2. Bournemouth do have four clean sheets in nine at home this season but they have been shipping goals lately.

They have conceded two or more goals in three of their last four at the Vitality Stadium so have been a bit more vulnerable there. So you have an option of 7/10 on both teams to score with Bet365 and the game going over 2.5 goals is trading at 7/10. The five league victories that Bournemouth have put up in their last eight league home games has been as many as they managed in their first 20 Premier League games. They won’t have the on-loan Jack Wilshere available for this one but they are still energetic enough to give Arsenal a good run for their money in his one. They are looking not only for their first ever win over Arsenal in all competitions, but they are also looking to avoid defeat against the Londoners for the first time. It would be a massive three points for them if they could land a damaging blow on the Gunners.

So Arsenal have won all four of their previous competitive games against Bournemouth across all competitions. In that sequence of ten games, they have scored ten goals and have conceded just the one as well. The Gunners have had some recent troubles away from home losing back to back games at Everton and Man City and both of those defeats came by a 2-1 scoreline. Both teams have scored in seven of Arsenal’s last eight Premier League matches on the road so the Gunners have had their vulnerabilities which really should make this one pretty interesting. Olivier Giroud was on the scoresheet again on the weekend and is even money in the Bet365 anytime goalscorer market. That is the same price as Alexis Sanchez who scored nine goals and assisted three more in nine Premier League away appearances this season. Mesut Ozil has form against Bournemouth too as he has scored two goals in this three previous Premier league games against them. A test for Arsenal here as they try and make headway inside the top four.

Bournemouth v Arsenal Betting Odds

Bournemouth 15/4, Draw 29/10, Arsenal 4/5

Bournemouth v Arsenal Predictions

There should be a goal at both ends in this one because Arsenal have been scoring well on the road and the Cherries have gone along well enough at the Vitality. The Cherries could really give the Gunners a good run for their money in this one, but still, at the end of the day, Arsenal are the ones more desperate for the points so they are likely to just have enough of an edge to take this by a one-goal margin.