AFC Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace 02/10/18

02 October 2018

After a disastrous 4-0 defeat to Burnley on the road, Bournemouth will be hosting Crystal Palace at the Vitality Stadium trying to snatch their third home victory this season.

The Cherries have outplayed Cardiff City and Leicester at home, scoring six goals in the process, while they’ve played out a 2-2 draw with Everton. But, the principal problem of the Dorset-based club is their away record, as they suffered two straight losses to Chelsea and the Clarets after beating West Ham United by two goals to one. Eddie Howe is desperate to see his backline moving up a gear considering they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in five successive games.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have opened the season with a 2-0 win over the returnees Fulham, but a poor defensive performance saw them losing three consecutive league matches, to Liverpool, Watford, and Southampton. However, the Glaziers have raised their game a bit in the last two Premier League fixtures, achieving a 1-0 triumph over Huddersfield Town and playing out a 0-0 draw with Newcastle United. In midweek’s Carabao Cup clash with West Bromwich Albion, Roy Hodgson’s side secured a comfortable 3-0 victory, as they home to maintain the promising spell whom they’ve failed to beat in the last two encounters.

Kyle Taylor is left out due to a leg injury, while the appearance of Charlie Daniels, Dan Gosling, and Diego Rico still hangs in the balance. As for the visitors, Scott Dann, Christian Benteke, and Connor Wickham will have to remain on the sidelines, while Jairo Riedewald may be ready for this weekend’s showdown.