Image copyright: Getty Images
2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 36
Arsenal v Bournemouth
Emirates Stadium
London, England
Saturday, 4 May 2024
Kick-off is at 13h30
Premier League leaders Arsenal will look to keep the momentum going when they welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, May 4 in the lunchtime kick-off.
The Gunners held on to beat fierce rivals Tottenham 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur on April 28 to maintain their one-point lead over Manchester City albeit having played one game more.
Mikel Arteta's side have now won four of their last five games and they appear to have learned from their slip-up in the run-in last season when they picked up just eight points out of a possible 15 at the same stage.
The Citizens kept up the pressure on their title rivals after running out 2-0 victors over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on April 28 to extend their unbeaten run to 19 matches.
Liverpool lost more ground in the title race as they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham at the London Stadium on April 27 to fall five points behind the table-topping North Londoners.
The Cherries still have a shot at recording their highest-ever finish in the top flight after claiming an impressive 3-0 victory over Brighton at the Vitality Stadium on April 28.
Back-to-back wins for Andoni Iraola's side took them within a point of the Hammers (8th) in 10th position, with their best finish of ninth coming in 2016-17.
A top-10 finish would still be quite an achievement for the south coast club, although they face stiff competition from Wolves (11th), the Seagulls (12th) and Fulham (13th), who are all separated by just five points.
In team news, Jurrien Timber is the only absentee for Arteta, who has an otherwise fully-fit squad at his disposal. Iraola has no such luxury though, as he remains without Ryan Fredericks (calf), Marcus Tavernier, Luis Sinisterra, Romain Faivre (all thigh), Antoine Semenyo (knee), Chris Mepham (illness) and Tyler Adams (back), while Milos Kerkez is suspended.
Arteta believes his players have learned their lesson from last season's disappointment in handling the run-in much better this time around.
"When you win it is always the case. Last year we didn't - we went to West Ham and we needed a result and we missed a penalty, and then against Liverpool we conceded in the 91st minute and we are not capable," the Spaniard said.
"The judgement is going to be based on the result - if we concede a goal in the last minute and it's 3-3 ... the margins are so small so we don't get carried away with yourself.
"Just understand that we have to be better and the margin for improvement, and go again against Bournemouth which is going to be really tough."
Image copyright: Getty Images
Bournemouth set a new record points total with their triumph against Albion, eclipsing the 46 they achieved seven seasons ago when they finished ninth, but Iraola wants his team to reach even greater heights.
"I'm very happy with the 48 points and we have to continue pushing. There are even more difficult games ahead, but we want as many points as we can, we want to finish the season strongly," the Spaniard told Sky Sports.
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Arsenal wins - 4
Bournemouth wins - 1
Draws - 0
Premier League Matchday 36 fixtures:
Friday, May 3
21h00: Luton Town v Everton
Saturday, May 4
13h30: Arsenal v Bournemouth
16h00: Brentford v Fulham
16h00: Burnley v Newcastle United
16h00: Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest
18h30: Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunday, May 5
15h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa
15h00: Chelsea v West Ham United
17h30: Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
Monday, May 6
21h00: Crystal Palace v Manchester United
Bet on the English Premier League
Kick off your sports betting journey & place a winning bet with our exciting Sports Welcome Offer where you’ll get up to R1,000 as a Free Bet when you make your first deposit.
Stand to win big with Live Games
Enjoy your favourite Live Casino Games from as little as R1 per bet with massive winning potential of up to R5 million on some selected games. Unlock all your favourite Live Games today and take a seat at your favourite tables to take on the dealer head-on.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram