After two seasons in the Championship, Bournemouth are getting a rude welcome back to the Premier League as they host their second “big six” team in three weeks. Arsenal visit the Vitality Stadium off the back of two wins to open the campaign, and will look to hand the hosts their second lopsided defeat in as many weeks.
Arsenal’s summer signings are off to a flying start, and will look to light up the scoreboard again as they did last weekend against Leicester City. Can Mikel Arteta’s men keep their perfect start intact, or will Bournemouth pull off a shocker? Find out in our Bournemouth vs Arsenal picks and predictions for Saturday, August 20.
Bournemouth vs Arsenal match odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Compare EPL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Bournemouth vs Arsenal betting tips
Predictions made on 5/19/2022 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for some EPL betting, here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users can get a no-sweat first bet (up to $1,000) at FanDuel! Sign Up Now
B) Arsenal to lead at halftime and win BOOSTED to +125 (was +110) at PointsBet! Claim Now
*Eligible USA locations only
Bournemouth vs Arsenal game info
• Location: Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England
• Date: Saturday, August 20, 2022
• Time: 12:30 a.m. ET
• TV: NBC
Bournemouth vs Arsenal betting preview
Weather
The fans and players will appreciate much cooler temperatures than they faced last weekend. Kickoff will see conditions in the upper 60s, with a slight chance of rain throughout the match.
Injuries
Bournemouth: Dominic Solanke F (Probable), Joe Rothwell M (Out), Ryan Fredericks D (Out).
Arsenal: Reiss Nelson F (Out), Fabio Vieira M (Out).
Bournemouth vs Arsenal predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Side analysis
A win to open the campaign is the goal of every team. For one newly promoted to the top flight, it’s a dream come true and can be the harbinger of a successful attempt to stay up. Bournemouth achieved just that when they pulled off a surprise 2-0 win at home against Aston Villa in the Premier League’s opening weekend. A second-minute goal stunned the visitors, and they added a second with 10 minutes left in regulation to seal the points.
Last week brought them quickly back to Earth, as they walked into the Etihad’s visitors locker room at halftime having conceded three goals to Manchester City. A 4-0 defeat saw them thoroughly dominated, overwhelmed by Pep Guardiola’s system which saw City’s fullbacks push into the middle and simply outnumber Bournemouth in the center of the pitch.
Now they return home to face Pep’s disciple, Mikel Arteta, and an Arsenal side that has taken victory in their opening two matches. Bournemouth will have to find a way to absorb Arsenal’s attacking pressure while finding a way to threaten them on the attack, something they were unable to do against Manchester City. They managed just three shots on the day, and allowed the Citizens to rack up 19 shots against them.
Scott Parker’s side know this three-match stretch will be difficult to navigate, with Arsenal this weekend and Liverpool to follow, but they are hopeful the return of Dominic Solanke in attack might give them a focal point through whom they can create some breathing room.
The Gunners are off to a phenomenal start, thanks in large part to no longer wondering where their goals will come from. Gabriel Jesus has been stellar in his first two matches following his summer move from Manchester City — he was unfortunate to not score in his debut.
He did last week against Leicester, potting Arsenal’s first two goals of the match — and if you haven’t seen the first one, do yourself a favor and check it out below. His audacious chip shot while surrounded by three defenders made him an instant hero amongst the home faithful. Jesus would later set up Granit Xhaka’s third goal, the winner in a 4-2 victory that saw Arsenal respond within two minutes both times that Leicester cut into their lead.
Get it on repeat! ???? #ARSLEI pic.twitter.com/82Bfd1dQqJ
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 14, 2022
Arteta’s squad is finally starting to take on his vision, with eight of last weekend’s starters either being academy players or people he brought in since taking over. The addition of Jesus and fellow Manchester City transfer Oleksandr Zinchenko has given the team an added bite going forward, and the squad has some true midfield depth. They’ve still yet to get fellow summer signing Fabio Vieira into the fold as the young midfielder is still recovering from injury.
These two sides have only met 12 times previously, and the Gunners have taken maximum points in all but three of those instances. Arsenal have won four of the last five meetings between the two, albeit before Arteta took the reins, but only one of those was an easy victory. But Bournemouth spent two years out of the Premier League, and neither team is what they were in 2020.
Arteta’s biggest issues last year were a lack of production from the center forward spot, and a lack of cohesion and familiarity due to the constant revolving door to the physio. Both of those things, thus far in the early season, have been addressed. After the 2020-21 campaign saw him name the same starting XI just twice, he now has a clear vision of what his best lineup is and has them playing some stellar football.
Bournemouth have attempted the fewest shots in the Premier League, and it’s not even close. Arsenal are averaging nearly three times as many, and not even a week of preparing for a similar attack to what Manchester City threw at them last week will be enough to change the outcome. Avoid the juice associated with the Arsenal moneyline and take them to match City’s feat of leading at the end of both halves.
Prediction: Arsenal half-time/full-time (+120 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
Only Liverpool has a higher expected goals mark this season than Arsenal, who have scored six times — one of which was an own goal — on an expected tally of 4.45 so far. Jesus’ proficiency in front of goal and his link-up play with his fellow forwards is a key reason for their success so far, and it will present a similar challenge to what Erling Haaland and City posed last weekend.
Bournemouth have the lowest xG in the Premier League, and have scored twice despite their 0.71 xG mark on the season. However, their four goals conceded last week were taken with high efficiency and their 2.18 xGA belies the fact they were a bit unfortunate to have faced such a quality side with lethal finishers.
Arsenal were fortunate to not concede against Crystal Palace in their opener, and Leicester was able to get at them last week. With the chemistry being displayed early this season by Jesus, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli in attack, I fully expect them to score at least twice — if not more — in this matchup. Bournemouth will push them at home and could easily nip one themselves, or open themselves up to a third. Either way, the Over for me is the most likely result.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals (-128 at FanDuel)
Best bet
I cannot stress how impressed I’ve been through the first two matches with Jesus’ play. I said before the season that I believed Manchester City would regret letting him go, but more importantly, they would rue selling him to a Premier League opponent. He’s proven my faith in him so far, making me feel very good about my +1,200 Golden Boot future.
It’s a big reason why I like him to score in this match. Through two matches, he’s already attempted five shots from inside the 18-yard box, with three coming inside the six-yard area. He’s in stellar form at the moment, and has also set up two goals for teammates.
Everything Arsenal does in attack is going through the Brazilian striker, and I expect him to have far more touches than the eight managed last weekend by Haaland. If at least one of those touches doesn’t see him celebrating a goal, I will be very surprised.
Pick: Gabriel Jesus to score anytime (+120 at bet365)
