Premier League 2025-26 – Saturday 3rd January Tips, TV and Betting Preview

The first full Premier League weekend of 2026 begins on Saturday when four of the 10 matches take place on a day where events at the top and the bottom of the table will be in the spotlight once again.

Although there are only four matches across the day, we do still have a couple of them on the TV for us in the UK to enjoy, while as ever the other two matches will carry all the usual updates in the normal places.

Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm unless stated; UK TV in brackets)

Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest (12.30pm – Sky Sports Premier League)

Brighton and Hove Albion vs Burnley

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham United

AFC Bournemouth vs Arsenal (5.30pm – Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League)

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Preview

We begin the day in the midlands where the TV cameras will be in operation as Aston Villa look to bounce back from defeat at the Emirates Stadium when they entertain a Nottingham Forest side who also ended 2025 with a loss and will be looking to go better to start 2026. We then have to wait for the final match of the day for the other TV game to come along. When it does, the leaders Arsenal will look to open up a seven point gap at the top of the table for around 24 hours when they head to the Vitality Stadium to face a Bournemouth side who are now winless in 10 in the Premier League.

The other two matches take place at the traditional 3pm time slot and there is a huge clash at the bottom end of the table as rock bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers look to pick up their first win of the season when they host third bottom West Ham United in a massive game for the Hammers. The other team in the bottom three are Burnley and they are also in action when they make the lengthy trip to the south coast to take on an inconsistent Brighton and Hove Albion outfit.

Betting

There obviously isn’t much to go at over the course of a day which has only four matches in it but I will take one which comes along in the form of Arsenal to come out on top in their clash with Bournemouth. The Gunners finally offered up a convincing performance in midweek but that will all be undone if they don’t come out on top at a Bournemouth side who it is beginning to look more and more like they will be without their talisman Antione Semenyo, who is on the verge of a move to Manchester City.

Arsenal are a little short to back as a single but you can get an acceptable jump on the price if you add under 4.5 goals to the bet and with a huge game on Thursday against Liverpool you could quite easily see Arsenal look to get in front and then ease off the gas and save something for that match. Bournemouth home matches are averaging less than two goals per game this term, in stark contrast to their away matches, and if Semenyo is missing their goal threat diminishes heavily. Arsenal have only scored 11 goals in nine away games this term so the Gunners to win and under 4.5 goals feels like it has every chance here.

Tips

Back Arsenal to beat Bournemouth and under 4.5 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Boylesports

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