Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham head to the south coast on Thursday night, eyeing a vital three points against a high-energy Bournemouth side.
Tottenham have endured a mixed run of results lately, but a trip to Bournemouth offers a chance to reignite their charge for a Champions League spot.
Meanwhile, the Cherries have proven they can punch above their weight, with wins against Arsenal and Man City this season. This clash between two forward-thinking sides promises to be an entertaining affair full of goals, drama, and key battles.
Bournemouth have been one of the most entertaining teams this season, and their recent performances show why. Inconsistent but full of energy, Andoni Iraola’s men are the Premier League’s distance kings, covering more ground than anyone else.
They are riding high after a thrilling 4-2 win over Wolves, with Justin Kluivert bagging a hat-trick, notably all from the spot. Their main highlight? Beating Arsenal and Manchester City at home—clearly a team not to be underestimated. However, their defensive woes continue as they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five matches. Despite sitting 13th, Iraola’s men trail the top four by just five points.
Tottenham’s season has been a rollercoaster ride of thrills and spills, with Ange Postecoglou’s side delivering highs like the 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City, but also baffling lows such as the shock defeat to Ipswich at home. Spurs have won one, drawn two, and lost two in their last five matches, this fixture cannot get more unpredictable.
Spurs remain without goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, with Fraser Forster deputising. Micky van de Ven and Richarlison are still sidelined, and Rodrigo Bentancur will serve the third of his seven-game suspension. However, Cristian Romero could make his return, having edged closer to fitness.
Dominic Solanke, who missed the Fulham game due to illness, is expected to be back and will aim to deliver against his former club.
The Cherries have been plagued by injuries, with Alex Scott (meniscus) and Julian Araujo (hamstring) ruled out. There’s no clarity on Luis Sinisterra’s availability, but Antoine Semenyo returns from suspension and will add pace to the attack. Lewis Cook might also be in contention to feature.
Forster; Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
This game has goals written all over it. Iraola has admitted that attacking small spaces isn’t their strength, making it crucial for Spurs to close down spaces and force them into tighter areas. With Ben Davies’ exceptional awareness and Radu Dragusin’s composure, we’ve hardly seen any through balls successfully breach the Spurs defence when this duo has paired up.
On the flip side, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, with a non-penalty xG of 4.13, will be a menace, but his lack of precision in passing (78.5% accuracy) could let Spurs off the hook.
Key battles will include Udogie vs Semenyo, with the Tottenham left-back needing to use his recovery pace to shut down Bournemouth’s flying winger. Up front, Brennan Johnson is the one to watch. With 10 goals this season, he joins Haaland as one of only two Premier League players to score 10+ non-penalty goals across all competitions.
Spurs’ unbeaten run at the Vitality in recent years and their superior firepower make them favourites, but Bournemouth’s giant-killing credentials mean they will simply be no pushovers.
Prediction: Tottenham 4-2 Bournemouth
Goals, drama, and perhaps even a controversial VAR decision—it’s all set to be a classic under the lights at the Vitality!
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