Arsenal Look to Maintain Top Four Place

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There are several Premier League fixtures to look forward to this week and one them involves Arsenal, who are chasing a top four place this season.  They welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night in what should be a great game.

Arsenal begin this week in 4th place, 1 point clear of Manchester United in 5th and 3 points clear of Chelsea in 6th although the Blues have a game in hand.  Bournemouth are hanging on to a top half place and start the week in 10th place, 2 points behind West Ham United in 9th and 1 point clear of 11th place Everton.

The Gunners come into this match having comfortably defeated Southampton 2-0 at the Emirates on Sunday.  That win means Arsenal have won three of their last four games in all competitions, with the other two victories coming at Huddersfield Town in the Premier League and at home to BATE Borisov in the Europa League.

Trends show Arsenal are tough to beat on home soil and they have gone thirteen matches unbeaten in the Premier League. The Gunners have won each of their last seven with good wins coming against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea plus victories over Huddersfield Town, Burnley, Fulham, Cardiff City and Southampton.

In five of their last seven home wins in all competitions, Arsenal have come out on top by 2 or more goals and they have scored 2 or more goals in each of their last five home Premier League matches.

Bournemouth travel to London having been held to a 1-1 draw at home by Wolverhampton Wanderers on the weekend.  Despite taking an early lead in the game, the Cherries were pegged back thanks to a late penalty.

That result means Bournemouth have failed to win any of their last three Premier League games, with defeats at Cardiff City and Liverpool adding to the draw with Wolves.

Trends show away form has been poor for Bournemouth and they have lost each of their last nine matches, a run which stretches back to the 10th November at Newcastle United. Bournemouth have conceded 2 or more goals in eight of those nine away games and have failed to score in six of those matches.

Having lost 5-0 at Spurs, 4-1 at Manchester United and 3-0 at Liverpool in recent away games, things are not looking good for Bournemouth ahead of this match.

Team news and Arsenal are without the injured trio of Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Danny Welbeck.  Alex Iwobi is a doubt but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should return to the starting XI having been on the bench on Sunday.

Bournemouth are without the suspended Jefferson Lerma and injured quartet of Lewis Cook, Simon Francis, Callum Wilson and David Brooks.

Given the form both teams home and away respectively, this should be a comfortable win for Arsenal.  Expect to see the Gunners score 2 or more goals to win the game.