Bournemouth vs Arsenal live: Team news and line-ups ahead of Premier League clash

Three changes for Arsenal from the side that beat Aston Villa 4-1: Declan Rice is recovered from his knee issue and replaces Mikel Merino, while Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli come into the side, replacing Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard.

Andoni Iraola fields the same XI as in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea last time out.

The big news for Bournemouth is that Antoine Semenyo, heavily tipped for a move to Man City in this transfer window, starts for the Cherries – meaning he could well hurt Arsenal’s title chances today before immediately moving to their big rivals for the Premier League trophy.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Scott, Tavernier, Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo, Evanilson

Subs: Forster, Cook, Soler, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Kroupi Jr, Enes Unal, Rees-Dottin

Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres

Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Merino, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Jesus

Just a couple minutes away from team news being confirmed. Here’s a reminder of what we know so far:

Antoine Semenyo is set to start with Andoni Iraola confirming his involvement, but Ben Gannon-Goak, Tyler Adams and Veljko Milosavljevic are all out. Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie are both 50/50 to feature.

As for Arsenal, there is still a big question mark over Declan Rice’s involvement. The midfielder missed the win against Villa due to knee swelling and he remains a doubt for Saturday’s game. Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori are still absent, but Gabriel and Jurrien Timber are set to start once again.

This victory may well be one they look back on in May. Faced with the Premier League’s in-form team, a side bouncing into north London after eight hair-raising wins on the spin, Arsenal blew away the merry men of Aston Villa in a sensational 30-minute, four-goal blitz at the Emirates. To close out 2025, jubilant on the touchline, it was Mikel Arteta’s biggest statement yet.

What sort of message has it sent to Manchester City? An emphatic one. In recent weeks, it has been nervy late-game viewing for Arsenal supporters, so desperate for this season to be, beyond any other competitions, their season in the Premier League. This was a proper test of their title credentials under the lights: a team with 11 consecutive victories in all competitions. The league’s in-form player in Morgan Rogers. An ex-manager in Unai Emery smelling a 24-day double. But they answered it and, whisper it quietly, in the manner of champions.

Read Kieran Jackson’s report from Tuesday night’s classic at the Emirates:

Andoni Iraola gave some more detail when pressed if today’s game against Arsenal will be Semenyo’s last for Bournemouth.

“No, no. I think the idea at least that he’s going to be available in these two home games in a short turnaround. I hope he can be here for more time. But I don’t know what’s going to be happen,” he said.

“That’s not the idea [that it’s Semenyo’s last match]. The market is open, you never know what’s going to happen. I cannot control things, but right now I don’t think so.”

Semenyo has been heavily linked with a move away with Manchester City said to be closing in on signing the Ghana international.

If Enzo Maresca’s last contribution as a Manchester City employee was to help them secure the treble in 2023, his most recent input to the discourse around the Etihad Stadium feels more unwelcome. The apparent indications that City’s former assistant manager had spoken to his old club about the possibility of replacing Pep Guardiola raised the issue of the Spaniard’s future.

Which has lingered in the background; as, indeed, it has for much of a reign that has extended for far longer than he originally envisaged. The Catalan shrugged off the idea his old assistant had talked to City. “Why would I give you an update about an opinion that I don’t know is about this opinion?” he said. “It’s just a rumour.”

Guardiola adopted a trademark blend of playfulness and faux arrogance. “You want to fire me?” he asked “My salary is so high, so I have one more year… I know you are bored of me, ten years here. I will leave one day, I promise. But I have a contract, I’m happy, I want to fight with my team. I like to be here.”

Richard Jolly writes on Enzo Maresca’s shock Chelsea exit and what it could mean for Arsenal’s title rivals Manchester City:

However, this promising start comes with a stark historical caveat. On five previous occasions over the past 23 years, Arsenal have ended the calendar year atop the Premier League, only to ultimately fall short of lifting the trophy.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s match at Bournemouth, Arteta stated he was unaware of the “grizzly statistic” but remained resolute. “Let’s break it,” he insisted.

“That’s what the players transmit every single day when they’re with us, training, and in every match. You can see their desire. You can see the energy that they put in, and how much they want it.”

He added a note of caution, reminding that: “There are still five months to go. Let’s take it day-by-day, enjoy that process of being where we are, and go for it.”