Surprise top-four contenders Bournemouth are all set to host Crystal Palace, who are fighting to stay out of the drop zone.
Bournemouth will look to extend their five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League when they square up against Crystal Palace at the Vitality Stadium on Boxing Day.
The Cherries are currently fifth on the points table with 28 points in their 17 outings thanks to eight wins, four draws and five defeats. Since losing consecutive games against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, Bournemouth have been unbeaten in their last five league outings, winning four of those fixtures.
Andoni Iraola’s men are heading into this home fixture on the back of a massive 3-0 win over Manchester United. Given the kind of run they have been in, the Cherries will be confident of getting it right against the Eagles.
The visitors are 16th on the points table with just 16 points in their 17 outings. Oliver Glasner’s men have only won three games so far, but the positive for them is that two of those wins have come in their last four league outings.
Crystal Palace were on a five-match unbeaten run before they got smashed at the hands of Arsenal in their last outing. The 5-1 loss was a massive blow, and they will be hoping to get things back on track against the Cherries. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola will remain without the services of Julian Araujo, Marcos Senesi, and Alex Scott for this Boxing Day fixture. He will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, and it will be more or less the same XI that started in the lasting outing.
Kepa Arrizabalaga will take charge in between the stick for the home team, while Lewis Cook and Milos Kerkez will be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Illia Zabarnyi will partner with Dean Huijsen. The back four will look for a clean sheet, and they will receive support from Tyler Adams and Ryan Christie, who will form the double pivot in front of the backline.
Justin Kluivert will be the attacking midfielder for the home team, while Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo will provide the much-needed width to their attacks. Evanilson will lead the line for Bournemouth against Crystal Palace on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Arrizabalaga; Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Adams, Christie; Semenyo, Kluivert, Ouattara; Evanilson
Crystal Palace
Eberechi Eze is back in the mix for Oliver Glasner’s team after missing out on the Arsenal game. Meanwhile, Daniel Munoz is available for selection after serving a suspension last time out.
Crystal Palace will stick to a back three, and Dean Henderson should continue in goal for them. Trevoh Chalobah, Maxence Lacroix, and Marc Guehi will be the three centre-backs, while Daniel Munoz and the highly sought-after Tyrick Mitchell will be the wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Jefferson Lerma will partner with Will Hughes. The duo will look to ensure that Bournemouth’s midfield do not end up dominating the proceedings. Eberechi Eze and Eddie Nketiah will feature on the flanks, while Jean-Philippe Mateta will spearhead the Crystal Palace attack against Bournemouth.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell; Eze, Mateta, Nketiah
Key Stats
- Bournemouth have won 32 out of the 79 matches played between the two teams. Crystal Palace have come out on top on 28 of those occasions.
- The Cherries have been unbeaten in their last five league outings, winning four of those games.
- After securing five wins in a row against Bournemouth in the league between 2019 and 2023, the Eagles have lost their last two outings against them.
- Palace have kept a clean sheet in four out of their last seven away league games against the Cherries.
- The Eagles have suffered defeats in each of their last three Boxing Day fixtures.
Player to Watch
Justin Kluivert
With six goals and two assists in his 17 Premier League outings, Kluivert has played a massive part in Bournemouth’s impressive run this season. The 25-year-old versatile forward bagged a goal in their last outing against Manchester United, and he will be looking to add to his tally against the Eagles.
Prediction
Bournemouth 2-1 Crystal Palace
The Cherries have been on a roll of late; they are fighting for a place in the top four and will need to keep winning to ensure they remain in contention for a European spot. Having won four out of their last five league outings, Bournemouth will be confident about their chances against Crystal Palace.
The Eagles will try to get things back on track, but they might not be able to stop the home team from collecting all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Andoni Iraola and his charges.
