Bournemouth will host Crystal Palace at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, looking to continue their unbeaten run and the push for European qualification.
Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games ahead of the match vs Crystal Palace, but they have picked up just two wins in that time. The Cherries will need to turn draws into wins if they want to secure European football next season. They are seventh in the league table, and the home fans will expect a strong performance from the players.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace are coming into this game on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League. They will look to bounce back strongly. Nevertheless, the eagles picked up an impressive midweek win in the UEFA Europa Conference League, which will have given them a major confidence boost. It remains to be seen whether they can pick up a win on the road.
Oliver Glasner’s men have picked up just one from their last six matches against the Cherries, and this will be a difficult game for them. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola will be without Justin Kluivert (knee), Lewis Cook (thigh), and Julio Soler (knock) this weekend. Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Crystal Palace, with Djordje Petrovic in goal.
Adam Smith and Adrien Truffert will start as the two full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit the Eagles on the counter. Meanwhile, James Hill will start alongside Marcos Senesi at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alex Scott will line up alongside Ryan Christie in the double pivot in the middle of the park. They will look to protect the team defensively and keep things compact in the middle of the pitch.
Eli Junior Kroupi will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Marcus Tavernier and Rayan will start on the flanks, adding goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Evanilson will lead the line for Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic, Smith, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Christie, Scott; Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson
Crystal Palace
Cheick Doucoure (knee), Eddie Nketiah (hamstring), and Evann Guessand (knee) have been ruled out for the visitors.
Crystal Palace will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Bournemouth, with Dean Henderson in goal. In the back three, Jaydee Canvot will start alongside Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will feature as the wing-backs. They will look to protect the central defenders and hit the opposition on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Will Hughes and Adam Wharton will add defensive cover and control in the middle of the park. Ismaila Sarr and Yeremy Pino will start as attacking midfielders, looking to create opportunities for their teammates. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will lead the line for Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth this weekend.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Canvot; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Pino, Sarr; Strand Larsen
Key Stats
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last five Premier League games against Crystal Palace (W2 D3), having lost five in a row against the Eagles before this. Meanwhile, the Eagles have kept a clean sheet in five of their eight Premier League away games against Bournemouth. At no other side have they recorded more shutouts in the competition (also 5 at Leicester City).
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League games, the longest ongoing run in the division. Only two teams have had 14+ game unbeaten runs within a single campaign and finished outside the top six: Wimbledon in 1996/97 (14 games, 8th) and Chelsea in 2015/16 (15 games, 10th).
- Crystal Palace have lost seven of their last 13 Premier League away games (W5 D1), as many defeats on the road as in their first 28 matches under Oliver Glasner (W11 D10).
- No side has a worst points differential between points won and lost with goals scored in the 90th minute or later in the Premier League this season than Bournemouth (-3, 5 won and 8 lost); Crystal Palace have the joint-best differential (+6, 7 won and 1 lost).
- Only Josko Gvardiol (11) has more Premier League goals among defenders in the Premier League than Daniel Muñoz since his debut in the competition in February 2024 (8), while he leads all defenders with 19 goal involvements (11 assists also).
Player to Watch
Eli Junior Kroupi
The talented young French attacker is our key player to watch. Kroupi has been in impressive form for the Cherries this season, and he will look to make his mark in the final third. He will look to find the back of the net and create opportunities against Crystal Palace.
The Eagles can be quite vulnerable defensively, and they have conceded in four of the last five matches across all competitions. Kroupi has the quality and the technical attributes to trouble them at the back. The teenage sensation is in impressive form and full of confidence right now. The hosts will depend on him to help them grind out all three points here.
Prediction
Bournemouth 2-1 Crystal Palace
Bournemouth have an excellent record against Crystal Palace, and they are unbeaten in five of the last six meetings between the two teams. The Cherries have been difficult to beat throughout 2026 so far, and they will certainly fancy their chances at home.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace have picked up just one win from their last four matches in all competitions, and this will be a difficult one for them. They will look to put up a fight here, but the home team has enough quality to grind out a narrow victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Andoni Iraola and his charges.
