Bournemouth will host Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, looking to boost their survival hopes with a victory.
Bournemouth are currently 19th in the league table, and they come into the game against Fulham on the back of three defeats from their last four league matches.
A morale-boosting win over Liverpool was followed by a 3-0 defeat against Aston villa. It will be interesting to see if the Cherries can pull off an important home win here.
Meanwhile, Fulham are ninth in the league table. Marco Silva will be disappointed with the performances of his side in recent weeks. At one point, it seemed like Fulham would push for European qualification. But they have now dropped points in four of their last six league matches.
Fulham are coming into this game on the back of consecutive defeats against Brentford and Arsenal. This is a golden opportunity for the Londoners to bounce back with a positive result. And it remains to be seen whether they can pick up all three points away from home.
Internationals = ✅@premierleague = 🔙🔜#FFC pic.twitter.com/uSgXfxYYjv
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) March 29, 2023
Team News and Tactics
Bournemouth
Gary O’Neil does not have any major injury concerns heading into this game, and he will look to field his strongest lineup against Fulham. The Cherries are likely to shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with Neto in goal.
Adam Smith and Lloyd Kelly are expected to start as the full-backs and they will look to provide defensive cover and width to the side. Meanwhile, Jack Stephens will partner with Marcos Senesi at the heart of the defence.
In the wide areas, Dango Ouattara and Jaidon Anthony are likely to add pace and flair to the side. Joe Rothwell will start in the middle of the park alongside Jefferson Lerma. The two players will look to break up the opposition’s play and protect the central defenders.
Midfielder Philip Billing will operate as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to add creativity and goals to the side. Finally, Dominic Solanke is set to lead the line for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Neto; Smith, Stephens, Senesi, Kelly; Ouattara, Rothwell, Lerma, Anthony; Billing; Solanke
Fulham
The visitors will be without the services of Neeskens Kebano and Layvin Kurzawa due to an injury. Willian and Aleksandar Mitrovic are suspended for Fulham. Marco Silva is likely to continue with his 4-2-3-1 setup with Bernd Leno in goal.
Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be deployed as the full-backs here. and they will look to add creativity and width to the side along with their defensive duties. Issa Diop will partner with Tim Ream at the heart of the defence.
In the midfield pivot, Joao Palhinha will start alongside Harrison Reed. While Reed will look to break up the play and win the ball back, Palhinha will add defensive cover and drive to the midfield.
In the wide areas, Bobby De Cordova-Reid will start on the right, with Manor Solomon on the left. The two players will look to add pace and flair to the side. Andreas Pereira will continue as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create opportunities for his side with his vision and passing ability in the final third. Finally, Carlos Vinicius is set to lead the line for Fulham in the absence of star striker Mitrovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Cordova-Reid, Perreira, Salomon; Vinicius
Key Stats
- Bournemouth have drawn their last three matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in five of their last six matches against Fulham.
- Fulham have failed to win four of their last six Premier League matches.
- Bournemouth have failed to win four of their last six Premier League matches.
- Fulham have conceded nine goals in their last three matches.
Player to watch out for
Joao Palhinha
Bossing it for his country. 👊
João Palhinha played 90 minutes for @selecaoportugal last night. 🇵🇹
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) March 24, 2023
Fulham will be hoping to dominate the contest in the middle of the park against Bournemouth and the 27-year-old midfielder will be crucial for them. The Portuguese international has been in impressive form this season and he is coming into this game on the back of two outstanding performances for his country in the Euro qualifiers.
Meanwhile, his performances have attracted several top clubs, with Liverpool among those reportedly interested. Palhinha will look to protect the central defenders and add creativity and drive to the side going forward.
Prediction
Bournemouth 1-1 Fulham
Both teams will be desperate to pick up all three points here for very different reasons, and this is likely to be a close contest. Bournemouth will not want to drop points at home, especially with their survival at stake. Meanwhile, Fulham will look to arrest their decline in form with a positive result here.
A cautious approach can be expected from the two teams here. Fulham are without two important attacking players in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Willian. So they could struggle to create too many opportunities here. A low-scoring draw is on the cards here, and the two sides might end up cancelling each other out. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw.
