A Southampton team in good stead after a series of strong results and performances in recent weeks comes up against a Bournemouth side low on confidence, struggling since losing Callum Wilson.
The Saints have registered some excellent performances over the past month but had their last two league games end in stalemates. They kicked on, however, with a win midweek in the League Cup against Aston Villa and will be looking to continue winning ways against a Bournemouth side that has let in 10 goals their past two Premier League fixtures.
The Cherries are enduring a poor month since star man Wilson suffered a cruciate ligament rupture 17 minutes in to the game against Stoke City. Up until the injury, Wilson had scored five of the club’s nine goals and was scoring at a rate of a goal every 1.4 games. With Wilson in the side, Bournemouth were scoring 1.28 goals per game. Without him, the number drops to a goal a game. More worrying though have been the defensive stats for the side in recent times, conceding five goals each in games against Tottenham and Manchester City. That leaves the side with the equal-worst goal difference in the league.
Key Battle – Sadio Mané vs Dan Gosling/Andrew Surman
The Senegalese winger has been used in a more central role in recent times and his pace and dribbling abilities have caused havoc among opposing slower central players. Five goals his last five games, Mané is very much a threat to break the game open and on the counter is even more dangerous.
Bournemouth’s central-midfield duo of Gosling and Surman will have to hassle and harry Mané when he receives the ball in deeper areas and limit service into him when he pushes higher up the park. The pair will have to be very much on the same wavelength, otherwise the Saints star could easily slip into pockets of space and tear open the defence. Should the two supress Mané’s influence, they may find themselves with time and space to turn the attack the other way.
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Team News
Ronald Koeman has virtually his entire squad to choose from, with goalkeeper Fraser Forster the only key player still out. Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez are not certainties but for the most part the Dutch coach has freedom of choice in his starting XI.
Eddie Howe’s decision of who to play between the sticks does not seem certain yet with Artur Boruc and Adam Federici both having been utilised recently. The Australian made his first appearance in the crushing 5-1 defeat to City whereas the Pole saw five past him against Spurs the following game. With Federici getting the nod midweek it seems the former Saint may start in his return to his former stomping ground.
Head-to-head
This will be the two sides’ first meeting in the Premier League but the Saints hold the balance of history, having won 10 meetings between the South Coast teams to the Cherries’ six with five ending in a draw.
Previous Meeting
The last game between these two sides was back in League One in March 2011 which saw Southampton claim a 3-1 win. Only two or three players are a chance to make an appearance this time around.
Prediction
It is hard to see a poor performing Bournemouth team lift into a higher gear against a very strong Southampton team of late. The visitors will probably set up very defensively and hope that their back third can deal with the movement and quick play of the Saints forward line.
Southampton 3 AFC Bournemouth 1
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