Bournemouth – Burnley : Preview & Prediction
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is running out of time to improve his team’s performance, but despite rumors that he would be the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season, he will remain on the bench for the visit of Burnley. Even at the start of the campaign, Bournemouth need to win this match (PL: E3, P6), which would be their first win, and would serve to overtake the “Clarets” in the table.
While the “Cherries” probably see this match as their most accessible in the league to date, they come with the added pressure of knowing that their next three opponents are Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle between league and cup. But while Burnley are on paper their weakest opponents, four consecutive home defeats in this fixture suggest that this clash will not be straightforward for Bournemouth.
A 4-2 win in this fixture as part of last season’s FA Cup is a fitting climax for Burnley, who will be looking to repeat the result and take advantage of their opponents’ poor form. After becoming accustomed to winning week in, week out in the Championship last season, the Clarets have struggled to adapt to the top flight (G1, E1, P7), a record that leaves them at real risk of starting to fall behind at the bottom of the table.
Manager Vincent Kompany was candid in his assessment of his team, saying his players’ performance “wasn’t good enough” in their 3-0 loss to Brentford, representing the fifth occasion this season that Burnley have allowed at least three goals in a Premier League match. Only newly-promoted Sheffield United (24) have conceded more goals than Burnley this campaign (23), an astonishing statistic considering Kompany himself has been a Premier League Hall of Fame defender since his playing days.
Players to watch: Dominic Solanke scored Bournemouth’s goal in the 2-1 loss to Wolves last weekend, his third consecutive goal to open the scoring. Trying to keep him at bay will be Burnley’s James Trafford, who has the lowest save percentage (63%) of any goalkeeper who has played every Premier League game after nine rounds.
Key stat: Burnley has been caught on the outside
Bournemouth – Burnley : Betting Tips
Bournemouth – Win Odds: 2.25
