The Cherries will look for some measure of revenge for a 5-1 defeat earlier in the season, against the title chasing Tottenham at White Hart Lane this weekend.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men will try to shake off a Europa League exit from Thursday night to keep in touch with Premier League leaders Leicester City. Spurs lost 5-1 on aggregate against Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and will now turn their focus to the most important issue at hand, winning the league.
While Bournemouth look to be safe from relegation, Eddie Howe and his side will be searching for the points to consolidate their security. With a win against Swansea City last week, they will be in high spirits to face a Spurs squad who may be low on confidence after their biggest loss of the season.
Spurs are chasing five points to equal Claudio Ranieri and his Foxes.
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Key Battle – Dele Alli vs Matt Ritchie/Adam Smith
Dele Alli is under the eye of the England boss at the moment, along with many Lilywhite players as five are named in the national team’s squad. The 19-year-old has been extremely influential in each game he has played, whether he is in the starting lineup or coming on as a substitute.
CrownBet match odds at time of publishing
Adam Smith and Matt Ritchie will have their hands full down the left side with Alli during the match, who tends to play high in the middle along with Erik Lamela and Harry Kane, but likes to drift out wide to deliver deadly crosses. Ritchie and Smith will also have to look out for Danny Rose, who gets forward regularly.
Team News
Jan Vertonghen and Clinton N’Jie have both returned to training after suffering long-term knee injuries, but are not available for selection. Many players were rested against Dortmund, including Kane and Pochettino switched the defence around, playing Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies. Davies took a heavy knock after a collision with his own goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, and was subsequently swapped with Rose. Eric Dier also limped his way to the end of the game. Kyle Walker and Rose will most likely start at the back, as the manager knows how well they get forward to deliver deadly balls into the box. Christian Eriksen and Mousa Dembele should also return to the starting lineup after being rested for Thursday night’s game.
Harry Arter is a slight chance of featuring in Eddie Howe’s squad, yet Tyrone Mings, Junior Stanislas and Callum Wilson still remain unavailable.
Previous Meeting
In what was the first top-flight meeting of the clubs, Bournemouth suffered a demolition from Tottenham and Kane back in late October. The English striker essentially kick-started his goal tally with a hat-trick that left the Cherries stunned at Dean Court. The 5-1 win was a harsh reality for the Dorset side, but many will be happy to see that the Cherries have pretty much secured their appearance in next year’s Premier League.
Prediction
Even though Spurs suffered an excruciating loss to Dortmund across two legs, the title contenders will take the chance to bounce back into the headlines. Tottenham will most likely not emulate their performance at Dean Court last time around, but with key players back in the squad they should secure all three points with ease. Eyes will also be on Leicester to see if Spurs can claw away that gap to the top.
Tottenham 3 Bournemouth 0
*CrownBet odds at time of publishing are subject to change
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