The FA Cup fifth round gets underway this week, with Burnley and Bournemouth kicking things off at Turf Moor on Tuesday.
There are only eight league places separating the two sides at the moment. Burnley sit seventeenth in the Premier League table, while Bournemouth are sixth in the Championship.
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Burnley survived a scare in the FA Cup third round, advancing via a penalty-shootout victory over third-tier MK Dons.
However, Sean Dyche’s men found life a lot easier in the fourth round, seeing off Premier League rivals Fulham 3-0.
In the league, the Clarets seem to have turned a corner when they secured back-to-back wins against Liverpool and Aston Villa last month.
But following two straight losses to Chelsea and Man City, and a draw with Brighton on Saturday, Burnley are hovering just above the relegation zone.
Having scored 14 goals in 22 games, Burnley are the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League this season. Still, they have only conceded 29 goals – one less than second-place Man Utd.
On the other hand, Bournemouth have come through two relatively straightforward ties to reach the fifth round.
After seeing off Oldham Athletic 4-1, the Cherries best Crawley Town 2-1 in the previous round, thanks to goals from Jack Wilshire and Josh King.
However, thing haven’t been going so well in the Championship. Having only lost two of their opening 20 games this term, Bournemouth have since lost five of their last eight.
Following four straight defeats, the Cherries stopped the rot last time out, securing a 3-2 comeback victory over Birmingham City.
Needless to say, Bournemouth will be look to pick up where they left off on Saturday when they visit Turf Moor on Tuesday.
Head-to-head: Burnley have claimed four straight wins over Bournemouth, most recently securing a 3-0 victory in February 2020.
In fact, Burnley have only lost two of their previous 14 meetings with the Cherries, keeping three clean sheets in their last four.
Team news: Burnley striker Chris Wood is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, while Josh Brownhill, Charlie Taylor and Robbie Brady are all doubts.
Bournemouth could be without forward Dominic Solanke after he missed the win over Birmingham on Saturday.
Bournemouth are likely to push Burnley close on Tuesday, but the Clarets’ top-flight quality is likely to shine through on this occasion.
Forebet predicts that Burnley will edge Bournemouth at Turf Moor. Both teams are expected to score, yet the home side should come out on top.