Bournemouth and Aston Villa go head-to-head at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday for a crucial battle at the bottom of the Premier League table.
The Cherries are just inside the relegation zone – level on 23 points with Watford below and West Ham above. Villa sit two places clear of the bottom three – two points better off than Bournemouth.
The relegation battle appears to be taking shape as the gap between fifteenth-place Brighton and Newcastle is now five points. However, just two points separate second-from-bottom Watford and the Seagulls.
Bournemouth come into this game on the back of a much-needed 3-1 win over Brighton. That was the Cherries’ first win in seven league games and just their second in thirteen.
Eddie Howe’s side have been struggling recently, so victory over their relegation rivals last time out will have given the squad a huge lift.
However, Bournemouth must start scoring goals if they’re to avoid the drop. Only Crystal Palace and Watford have scored fewer goals than the Cherries in the division this season.
By contrast, Villa will be full of confidence following their EFL Cup semi-final victory over Leicester. Trezeguet netted an injury-time winner to send his side through to the final.
Two wins in their previous four league games have seen Villa climb out of the bottom three. Dean Smith’s side beat Burnley before suffering a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Manchester City.
But the Villains bounced back with a 1-1 draw at Brighton before beating Watford 2-1 last time out thanks to another stoppage-time winner.
When the two teams met earlier in the season, Bournemouth claimed a 2-1 victory at Villa Park. Joshua King and Harry Wilson both got on the scoresheet, while Douglas Luiz scored for Villa.
It’s worth pointing out that the Villains haven’t beaten Bournemouth since 2015. Still, the two teams have only faced each other on eight occasions in the past.
Bournemouth’s injury list remains lengthy. As many as eight players could miss out this weekend, but the return of start striker Callum Wilson is a big plus for the Cherries.
As for Villa, Wesley, Tom Heaton and John McGinn are all long-term absentees. But Mbwana Samatta, Danny Drinkwater and Pepe Reina have all been brought in as cover.
This game is likely to play a massive part in the relegation battle this season and Bournemouth’s home advantage could give them the edge on Saturday.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score but the Cherries are expected to come out on top.