Arsenal go into Saturday’s lunchtime fixture against Bournemouth at the Emirates with the pressure of a title race that seems to ramp up every single week. On the verge of matching their best Premier League winning run of the 2025-26 season, Mikel Arteta’s side have put together four straight top-flight wins, beating Tottenham, Chelsea, Brighton, and Everton to break the 70-point mark.
They currently sit nine points clear of Manchester City at the top, though the Gunners have played an extra game. They come into this one fresh off a late 1-0 win at Sporting CP in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, where Kai Havertz scored in stoppage time, which was a massive boost after being knocked out of both domestic cups recently.
Arsenal’s predicted XI against Bournemouth
Looking at the predicted lineup, Arteta is expected to use a 4-2-3-1 setup focused on defensive shape and tactical discipline. David Raya starts in goal, behind a back four of Jurriën Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Riccardo Calafiori. Both Timber and Saka missed the trip to Lisbon, but the duo should be back in the XI here. Having them back out there completely changes Arsenal’s width and defensive stability.
In the midfield pivot, Martín Zubimendi and Declan Rice will hold things down, giving Arteta the solid base he needs against a Bournemouth team that can hurt you on the break. Rice, especially, brings the energy and pressing that really drives the team’s forward play.
Further forward, Bukayo Saka takes his spot on the right as the main creative spark, while academy graduate Max Dowman, who just scored against Everton, starts on the left. Dowman played in that 2-0 win over the Toffees and is really stepping up while several senior players are out. Noni Madueke takes the number ten role, bringing some directness and unpredictability to the middle of the pitch.
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Kai Havertz starts up top as the lone striker. He’s looked more and more comfortable in that role as the season has gone on, dropping deep to link play and making runs behind the defence. With Leandro Trossard, Martin Ødegaard, Piero Hincapié, Eberechi Eze, and Mikel Merino all still out injured, Arteta is forced to rely heavily on this group. Even with those injuries, this starting eleven still has more than enough quality to keep the winning streak alive and move Arsenal one step closer to the Premier League title.
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Arsenal (4-2-3-1): David Raya – Jurriën Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori – Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice – Bukayo Saka, Max Dowman, Noni Madueke – Kai Havertz.
