Tottenham will host Bournemouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, eager to bounce back to winning ways after losing their last two games.
Tottenham Hotspur have lost four of their last six matches in all competitions, and they will be under pressure to bounce back strongly in the game vs Bournemouth at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
On the other hand, Bournemouth have shown disappointing form in recent weeks as well, and they have lost three of their last four matches in the Premier League. The Cherries have a mediocre record against Tottenham as well.
It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly with a positive performance here. On paper, Tottenham have a better team, but they have not been at their best. It will be interesting to see if they can step up and produce a match-winning display here.
Tottenham could still finish in the European positions if they can put together a winning run, and Ange Postecoglou will demand a strong reaction from his players after two back-to-back defeats. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Radu Dragusin has a knee injury, Dejan Kulusevski has an ankle injury, and Richarlison is sidelined with a calf injury. Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Bournemouth, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal.
Pedro Porro and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Cristian Romero will start alongside Micky van de Ven in the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Pape Matar Sarr will start alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma in the middle of the park. They will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side.
Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel will start on the flanks, and they will look to create goalscoring chances for their teammates. Finally, Son Heung-min will lead the line for Tottenham vs Bournemouth on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Son, Tel
Bournemouth
Bournemouth will be without Marcos Senesi because of a hamstring issue. Adam Smith due to a knock, while Enes Unal is recovering from a knee injury. Meanwhile, Illia Zabarnyi will miss out due to suspension.
Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal. James Hill and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out in the attack. Lewis Cook will start alongside Dean Huijsen at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alex Scott will start alongside Tyler Adams in the double pivot, and they will look to add control and defensive cover to the side. David Brooks will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Evanilson will spearhead the Bournemouth attack vs Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Hill, Cook, Huijsen, Kerkez; Tyler, Scott; Semenyo, Brooks, Kluivert; Evanilson
Key Stats
Tottenham Hotspur have won six of their last seven home matches vs Bournemouth in all competitions.
17 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
Both teams have lost three of their last six matches in the Premier League.
Tottenham and Bournemouth have scored in three of the last five meetings between the two teams.
Ten of Justin Kluivert’s 12 league goals this season have come on the road. He is the first Bournemouth player to score reach double figures for away goals in a top-flight campaign
Player to Watch
Son Heung-min
Embed from Getty Images
The South Korean international is our key player to watch out for. Spurs will need him to step up and produce a match-winning performance in the final third. He will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well. Son is undoubtedly the best attacker at the club, and he will have to step up if Tottenham want to grind out all three points here.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Bournemouth
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side are defensive in their approach, and they will look to outscore each other. There will be a fair few goalscoring opportunities for either side, and both teams are likely to get on the score sheet here. It will be difficult to separate the two teams.
However, Tottenham have more quality in the attack, and they should be able to grind out a narrow victory at home. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Ange Postecoglou and his charges.