Bournemouth will look to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they host a winless Southampton eager to make a mark.
Andoni Iraloa cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines as a Kepa Arrizabalaga error opened the floodgates for Liverpool, with the Spanish goalkeeper’s mistake allowing Luis Diaz the opening goal. He carried on his frustrations for a brief period that has cost him a presence on the sidelines before Bournemouth host Southampton on Monday night.
The Cherries are on a two-game losing run, having narrowly lost to Chelsea before the Liverpool defeat. Coupled with a cup exit at the hands of West Ham United, Iraola needs to find answers to get points on board or risk getting dragged into a relegation dogfight in the early phase of the season.
Iraola will certainly hope for a change in fortunes when his side hosts Southampton at the Vitality on Monday evening under the lights. A win is vital for Bournemouth, considering they only have one in five Premier League games so far. So, three points will be a welcome boost for a steadily deflating Cherries squad.
Meanwhile, Southampton are on the hunt for their first win of the season, having come excruciating close to one during the events of last weekend. Russell Martin’s men took an early lead to exciting young attacker Tyler Dibling, and while they held their own until the end, a 95th-minute equaliser from Ipswich Town’s Samy Morsy ensured the share of spoils.
Martin will be particularly disappointed at the outcome, as that game was a potential six-pointer in the context of the relegation fight. With the share of points, Southampton are still looking for a first win, although they have won twice in the EFL Cup.
A trip to Bournemouth would be a daunting affair as well as an opportunity of sorts for Martin, who would surely look to exploit the hosts’ dreadful run of form to gain a positive result. In any case, these are testing times for the Saints and their manager, with the pressure likely to mount if they go more games without a win.
Team News & Tactics
Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola will be unavailable for Bournemouth on the touchline on Monday. But that did not prevent him from speaking to the press before the game. The Cherries boss confirmed that Tyler Adams is the only absentee in the squad, with all the others available for selection.
There could be some changes to the backline, with Adam Smith and Marco Senesi, who featured in the narrow loss to Chelsea, the ones likely coming in. The pair were dropped for the Liverpool clash, and Iraola might consider his mistake in a defensive sense.
Evanilson should continue leading the line for Bournemouth against Southampton, while Antoine Semenyo will also look to make an impact alongside Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier in the attacking setup.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Arrizabalaga; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Christie; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson
Southampton
There are some niggling issues with a few of Southampton’s players, as Kamaldeen Sulemana and Will Smallbone are doubts for this visit to Bournemouth. Gavin Bazunu is a long-term absentee, while Jack Stephens will serve the third of his three-game suspension in this one.
Russell Martin is not expected to make too many changes to his setup for this visit, while he might continue to retain that attacking approach with a 4-3-3 formation. Aaron Ramsdale will be the first choice in goal, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jan Bednarek in the central defensive zones.
Flynn Downes will continue to sit at the base of midfield, with Adam Lallana and Matues Fernandes in support from those other midfield spots. Cameron Archer will lead the line, with Dibling and Ryan Fraser likely to be preferred on either wing.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Taylor; Lallana, Downes, Fernandes; Dibling, Archer, Fraser
Key Stats
- Bournemouth won their first Premier League home fixture against Southampton in 2016 but are winless in all five top-flight home meetings since (D2 L3). The Saints have kept a clean sheet in their last four away matches against Bournemouth in all competitions.
- Southampton have failed to win their last 18 matches in the Premier League.
- Bournemouth have won only one of their last nine matches in all competitions, a 3-2 Premier League victory at Everton in August (D2 L6).
- Among current Premier League clubs, Southampton are on the joint longest active run of top-flight matches without a clean sheet (17).
- Antoine Semenyo has had 24 shots in the Premier League this season, second only to Erling Haaland (26) prior to the latest round of fixtures
Player to Watch
Antoine Semenyo
Andoni Iraola is looking for inspiration from his attacking players, who have somewhat tailed off from their early season form. Bournemouth lost Dominic Solanke in the summer, which has raised the question of who will come up to become their talisman.
The answer might come in the form of Antoine Semenyo, as the attacker has the capacity and personality to step into big shoes. The Ghana international will have to put in some big performances and could have a big opportunity against a struggling Southampton side, as Bournemouth need inspiration from somewhere to start winning games again.
Prediction
Bournemouth 2-1 Southampton
Southampton might head to the Vitality Stadium and look to take advantage of Bournemouth’s dreadful run of form, although the Saints’ own form isn’t anything inspiring. Russell Martin will know that without a positive result, things could go sideways for him and increase the pressure.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, possesses obvious quality that may appear superior to Southampton, and that alone might take them through the game. Andaoni Iraola will demand a big win against a struggling Saints side, and that might be the case on Monday night.
