- Bournemouth and Chelsea: two clubs with the same problem, but different solutions
- How referees change season by season and how it affects clubs
- And in the 100 years in the top division series: 1954/5 and 1955/6: Whittaker’s final seasons, and still no more trophies
By Tony Attwood
As ever, we approach a game by looking at the comparative merits of the two clubs involved through the lens of their home and away games this season. And this time I have added an extra team, for unless you have looked up this particular run of figures before today, you might be a trifle surprised. For in the bottom row we have Tottenham away – and would you believe it they have the best away record in the league! Which shows what a toxic environment they have built at New Lane! It’s a bit of an issue, I’d suggest.
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Arsenal away | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| 11 | AFC Bournemouth home | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 16 |
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur away | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 18 |
But now back to our world – the game against AFC Bournemouth tonight at the smallest ground in the Premier League (capacity 11,286 or 11,307 depending on which book or website you look at). And yes Bournemouth are pretty much on a par with Arsenal by this measure of Arsenal away and Bournemouth at home.
However, if we look at Bournemouth’s most recent home games, they have themselves been in a certain amount of trouble…
| Date | Match | Res | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Oct 2025 | AFC Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest | W | 2-0 |
| 22 Nov 2025 | AFC Bournemouth v West Ham United | D | 2-2 |
| 02 Dec 2025 | AFC Bournemouth v Everton | L | 0-1 |
| 06 Dec 2025 | AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea | D | 0-0 |
| 20 Dec 2025 | AFC Bournemouth v Burnley | D | 1-1 |
Bournemouth and Arsenal have played each other 18 times – 16 times in the league and once in each of the domestic cups. Arsenal have won 13 and Bournemouth three with two matches being draws. But two of those Bournemouth wins have come in the last two matches between the clubs, in 2024 (a 2-0 home win to Bournemouth) and 2025 (a 1-2 away win to Bournemouth).
Now that 2025 game was a bit unusual since Arsenal’s immediate game before the Bournemouth match, and their scheduled game after the Bournemouth match, was in each case against Paris St Germain in the Champions League semi-final. Arsenal lost both of those and could hardly be said to be putting their best feet forwrd for the match in between on 3 May 2025. Bournemouth won 2-1 at Arsenal Stadium.
This time, to make matters worse for Bournemouth, they are currently 16h in the last six games table, having won none, drawn four and lost two of their last six. Arsenal are second in that table, having won five and lost one.
Arsenal’s one defeat in the last six was the match away to Aston Villa on 6 December (2-1) but other than that, Arsenal have had no defeats since losing to Liverpool 1-0 on the last day of August in the third match of the season.
Although Bournemouth are 15th in the league, they are not in any particular chance of going down since others are determined to do far worse. But for the record here is the last six games table
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Bournemouth | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 12 | -4 | 4 |
| 17 | Brighton | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 3 |
| 18 | West Ham | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 11 | -5 | 3 |
| 19 | Burnley | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 2 |
| 20 | Wolverhampton | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 12 | -8 | 1 |
Thus, pulling the bits and pieces togethe,r Arsenal should win this, and indeed it would be a major upset if they did not.
The one thing Bournemouth have in their favour is the ability to score goals – they have scored 29 in the league, making them the seventh highest scoring team. But countering that they have the 17th worst defence in the league this season, having conceded 35. Arsenal have conceded 12.
But the goal difference table is a bit unusual this season in that only six of the 20 teams in the league have conceded more than they have scored, of which Bournemouth are the best of the bunch The worst, as you might guess, is of course Wolverhampton Wanderers with a goal difference of minus 29.
Bournemouth entered the Football League in 1929, having previously played in the Southern League, leaving their near neighbours Poole Town to take over the local representation in that competition. They stayed in the Third Division (South) and then its successor, the Third Division for 40 consecutive seasons, until spending four seasons in the fourth tier.
After seven years of that, they were back in the third, but this time only stayed for two seasons before moving into the second division for the first time, 76 years after entering the Football League.
There was then a bit of hokey kokey going up and down the leagues until, for the first time in their history, in 2015 they entered the Premier League. They have had one relegation since then, but after two seasons in the Championship returned.
They have three timesfinished ninth in the top division and twice got to the quarter finals of the FA Cup but today, they are 15th, 22 points behind Arsenal…
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 19 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 37 | 12 | 25 | 45 |
| 15 | AFC Bournemouth | 19 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 29 | 35 | -6 | 23 |
