The Cherries certainly haven’t earned the luck of the Premier League fixture simulator – last week they had to travel to Old Trafford and face an in-form Manchester United side. This Thursday, it’s Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham, who’ll be relishing to make the most of their hosts’ current struggles.
Eddie Howe’s men have been in despairingly poor form, and their various problems, both top and at the back, were on full display last weekend when they faced Manchester United.
Sure, the Red Devils have been looking very sharp and efficient in recent games, having racked up 9 victories on the bounce with their front three – Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford – proving to be more lucrative than the Premier League Champions’ triumvirate.
However, even if the visitors had been boasting attacking players akin to that calibre, they would still be facing defeat, thanks to their flimsy defence. Indeed, even when Howe’s men took a surprising lead courtesy of Junior Stanislas in the 15th minute, they were unable to hold onto it, allowing the likes of Greenwood and Rashford to add to their tally of 51 goals for the season.
In doing so, Bournemouth caved in to their eighth successive away defeat, which’ll do nothing for morale at the Vitality – especially if this Thursday’s opponents, Tottenham, display a likeminded spirited performance, as they showcased against Everton on Monday evening.
Though the game itself was largely uneventful on the attacking forefront, Mourinho’s men were able to profit off a Michael Keane own-goal, courtesy of a deflected shot from Giovani lo Celso. And even without much entertainment on show, the hosts were fiery in their pursuit of victory, evident in the spat between Hugo Lloris and Heung-Min Son.
Spurs move up to eighth in the league standings, four points behind sixth-placed Wolves, while the defeat to Tottenham keeps the Toffees in 11th.
ENGLAND: Premier League
Bournemouth vs Tottenham
Over 2.5 Goals
It’s fair to say the defeat to Sheffield United a fortnight ago was a sobering one for Mourinho and his men. So much so, the 57-year-old had questioned the mentality of his players in the aftermath, saying that he himself was ‘destroyed a little bit on the inside’.
But in typical Mourinho-esq fashion, the performance that followed against Everton as a response to that desperate loss, was a cagey, fiery staging – one that resulted in victory for the hosts.
Indeed, his players were able to keep the Toffees at bay and snap up their fifth clean sheet in 30 games, despite facing a tough task in keeping the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin quiet. Even better, they were able to respond at the other end of the pitch with Son constantly challenging Jordan Pickford’s goal.
Sure, Everton haven’t been operating in the best form. But given that Spurs looked defensively stronger, and have continued in that vein having clinched two clean sheets in their last three games (as many as they had in their previous 13), this Thursday’s opposition will find it hard to penetrate their back four.
Unfortunately, it’s something Bournemouth have been struggling with throughout the campaign, compounded by their inability to shore up in defence.
Yes, they did take the lead at Old Trafford last week, against the grain. However, there was an air of inevitability about what followed – an attacking masterclass from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men. The chief tormentors? The usual suspects, in the form of the Red Devils front three, each of which who were already carrying quite the goal-scoring tally prior to the clash with the Cherries.
Their attempt to rise up against the waves of attack from United in the second-half were promising. But even these bore no fruit, instead ensuring Howe’s men would only be denied all three points.
Against this Thursday’s opponents, there’s every chance the hosts will be in for another rollicking; Mourinho’s brand of football may not be the most attacking, but with the stuttering nature of the Bournemouth defence, you can wager on a high-scoring victory in the outright betting markets for Spurs.
ENGLAND: Premier League
Bournemouth vs Tottenham
Over 2.5 Goals