Bournemouth will be looking to boost their Champions League qualification hopes when they welcome relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Victory for the Cherries would see them complete their first league double over the Old Gold since the 2014-15 Championship season, after winning the reverse fixture 4-2 at Molineux in November.
Match preview
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Bournemouth have been one of the surprise packages this season and Andoni Iraola's side have put together a strong run of form over the last few months, losing just one of their last 15 matches across all competitions (W10 D4).
The Cherries have won three of their last four Premier League games and they extended their unbeaten away run in all competitions to eight matches (W6 D2) after securing a 3-1 victory at basement club Southampton last weekend, courtesy of goals from Dango Ouattara, Ryan Christie and Marcus Tavernier.
Iraola's men capitalised on both Chelsea and Newcastle United losing, and they now sit fifth in the table, only one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City and just four points behind Nottingham Forest in third. The Cherries are just five points off their record top-flight points total from last season (48) with 13 games still remaining and also need just one more victory to match last season's tally of 13 wins.
This weekend, Bournemouth return to the Vitality Stadium where they lost 2-0 to leaders Liverpool in their last home fixture; they have not lost consecutive home league matches since October 2023, and the second of those was in fact against Wolves (2-1).
Nevertheless, Bournemouth will fancy their chances of collecting maximum points on Saturday, as they have picked up 20 points across their last 10 PL home games and have also won three of their last four top-flight meetings with Wolves, although all three of those were on the road.
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Wolves' recent run of form in the Premier League - five defeats in their last six matches - does not make for good reading, but Vitor Pereira can take positives from his team's performances in their last two fixtures against Aston Villa and Liverpool.
A fortnight after beating Aston Villa 2-0 on home soil, a spirited Wolves outfit narrowly lost 2-1 at leaders Liverpool last weekend, despite putting in a "fantastic" second-half display in the eyes of Pereira, with his team preventing Liverpool from registering a single shot on target in the second half of a match at Anfield for the first time since records began in 2003-04.
Picking up precious points is the priority for Wolves, though, who remain 17th in the Premier League table and in danger of relegation, as 18th-placed Ipswich Town claimed a point last time out to reduce the gap to safety to just two points.
Wolves have enjoyed their recent visits to the Vitality Stadium as they have not lost any of their previous four top-flight away meetings with Bournemouth, alternating between drawing (2) and winning (2), and it is their most away matches against an opponent without ever losing in the division's history.
However, Saturday's game with the Cherries represents Wolves' fourth consecutive PL away fixture against a team starting the day in the top six of the table, losing each of the other three. The Old Gold have in fact won only one of their last 28 games on the road against sides in the top six (D3 L24) - beating fourth-placed Tottenham by a 2-1 scoreline in February 2024.
Team News
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Bournemouth are still having to cope without Evanilson (foot), Enes Unal (ACL), Marcos Senesi, Julian Araujo (both hamstring) and Adam Smith (muscle) due to injury, but Julio Soler has returned to the club and should be available after finishing second with Argentina at the South American Under-20 Championship, while James Hill will be assessed after returning to training.
Iraola was boosted by the return of both Alex Scott and Luis Sinisterra to the matchday squad last weekend, but the Spaniard has suggested that both players are not yet ready to start. Tyler Adams and Ryan Christie are therefore expected to continue their partnership in the middle of the pitch.
Bournemouth's Dango Ouattara has been involved in nine goals in his last 11 Premier League games (six goals, three assists), as many as in his first 60 appearances in the division (three goals, six assists), and the Burkina Faso international is in line to continue up front for the Cherries.
As for Wolves, Enso Gonzalez, Yerson Mosquera, Leon Chiwome and Sasa Kalajdzic all remain out with knee injuries, while January signing Emmanuel Agbadou is facing a spell on the sidelines after pulling his hamstring in the defeat at Liverpool.
Rodrigo Gomes (unspecified) and Hwang Hee-Chan (hamstring) are also unavailable after missing the loss at Anfield, but on a positive note, Pereira has been boosted by the return to training of Jorgen Strand Larsen and he could be ready to return to the matchday squad, while Sam Johnstone is back fit and available for selection.
New midfielder Marshall Munetsi was surprisingly tasked with operating as a makeshift forward when he came on for the second half against Liverpool. Whether Pereira begins with the Zimbabwean down the middle on Saturday remains to be seen, as he may continue with Goncalo Guedes, Pablo Sarabia and star man Matheus Cunha - who has scored in each of his last three games - in a three-man attack from the off.
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Kepa; Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Ouattara
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Sa; Doherty, S. Bueno, Toti; Semedo, J. Gomes, Andre, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia, Cunha; Guedes
We say: Bournemouth 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves' spirited performances across their last two matches, as well as their solid Premier League away record against Bournemouth, will give them hope of claiming a positive result at the Vitality Stadium, but the Cherries will still be regarded as favourites for this one.
Indeed, Iraola's side have already hit four goals past a leaky Wolves defence this season and they should have few problems outscoring their opponents en route to collecting three valuable points to boost their top-four hopes.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
