Bournemouth vs Arsenal H2H: Another magical Nelson moment? – Bournemouth host Arsenal in the Premier League (PL) on Saturday afternoon without a win in their first six league games.
The Gunners stumbled to a 2-2 draw at home to North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, and so both sides will go into this clash with a point to prove.
(Picture credit: Paul Terry / Sportimage) – Photo by Icon sport
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Bournemouth vs Arsenal H2H Record
Despite their established PL status, Bournemouth have only met Arsenal 14 times in their history, with the Gunners firmly coming out on top:
- Bournemouth Wins: 1
- Draws: 2
- Arsenal Wins: 11
The two sides first met in the League Cup in 1987/88, when Arsenal ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, but because Bournemouth's history largely entails them hanging around in the lower divisions, they did not meet again until the Cherries were promoted to the PL in 2015.
In fact, 12 of their 14 encounters have come in the top flight, with a sole meeting in the FA Cup in 2020.
Last time out…
The last time these two teams played was a thrilling encounter back in March, where Philip Billing scored the PL's second-fastest ever goal after just 9.11 seconds to put Bournemouth in front.
The Cherries were 2-0 up at the Emirates Stadium until just after the hour mark, where the hosts sparked a dramatic late comeback. Reiss Nelson scored the winner seven minutes into added time to give Mikel Arteta's side a 3-2 victory and maintain hopes of winning the league, only to be pipped by Manchester City in the end.
Bournemouth vs Arsenal H2H: Potential MVP
With Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard injured, the left-wing spot is up for grabs in the Arsenal line-up. Gabriel Jesus was shoehorned there at home to Spurs, but Nelson is a more natural fit, and would be looking for another magical moment against Bournemouth.
This season, Nelson has not been given many opportunities to impress, certainly in the PL, where he has played a total of 14 minutes so far. His one cameo appearance in the UEFA Champions League showed what he is capable of, grabbing an assist in the 4-0 thumping of PSV.
Nonetheless, with Arsenal's injury list piling up, the 23-year-old will be desperate to start this weekend.
Bournemouth: Players in focus
Neto – Likely to be busy
Having made the joint-third most saves (27) of all goalkeepers in the PL, Neto will have to be at his best to keep Arsenal out.
Philip Billing – Goalscoring midfielder
Billing scored seconds into Bournemouth's last meeting with the Gunners, and netted seven times in total from midfield in the previous campaign.
Dominic Solanke – The danger man
If the Cherries get on the scoresheet, Solanke is most likely to be involved, having netted his third of the season against Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend – he has scored 60% of Bournemouth's goals in the league.
Arsenal: Players in focus
William Saliba – The defensive rock
If Arsenal are to keep a clean sheet, Saliba will be at the heart of it, as no Spurs player could dribble past him despite scoring twice at the Emirates. The centre-back also announced himself to the PL with a sublime goal in the same fixture last term.
Bukayo Saka – The man in form
Saka's deflected effort got the ball rolling for Arsenal against Spurs, and his well-taken penalty gave the Gunners a 2-1 lead. He has three goals and two assists in the league in total, and will want to add to that on Saturday.
Reiss Nelson – Another chance to impress?
We've already gone into the case for inclusion where Nelson is concerned, but there's even more than meets the eye. Aside from his last-gasp winner in the last H2H, he also grabbed an assist and maintained a 100% passing accuracy rate against the Cherries in that epic turnaround.
Bournemouth vs Arsenal H2H: Final Prediction
Given that Bournemouth have not won in the league this season, and Arsenal have picked up 14 points from a possible 18, expect a comfortable away win here.
The North Londoners are also yet to concede away from home in the league, and as Andoni Iraola's team are the joint-third lowest scorers with just five goals in six matches, the visitors should be confident of keeping a clean sheet too.
We're saying 2-0 to Arsenal with Nelson to score or assist.
