Bournemouth vs. Everton
Venue: Dean Court
Kick off: 6:15pm
Bournemouth and Everton will clash for just the fifth time in their respective histories in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday (today).
Premier League survival is the name of the game for Bournemouth this season, but with a spot in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on offer, there is no question that Eddie Howe will be taking this particular match seriously.
A home draw was nice for the Cherries, but facing fellow Premier League opposition is not quite what they would have had in mind.
The Cherries will also enter this match off the back of back-to-back defeats in the Premier League.
The last of those came at home to Stoke City last weekend, which dropped the club into 15th position. As it stands, Howe’s team are four points outside of the relegation places and very much in the battle to escape the drop this term.
Bournemouth will also have fond memories of their last clash with Everton, which took place earlier this season.
The hosts were trailing 2-0 in the latter stages of the Premier League match, but ultimately secured a point in a 3-3 draw when Junior Stanislas controversially scored in the 98th minute.
Like Bournemouth, Everton will see their final Premier League position as slightly more important than success in the FA Cup, but the Toffees will still be smarting from their exit in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
They recorded a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the first leg, but lost the return 3-1 as Roberto Martinez’s side missed out on a spot in the Wembley final. They are still alive in the FA Cup, however, and with not too much happening with their Premier League position, this is a competition that Martinez will want to win.
Everton will enter the match off the back of a 1-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion in the league last weekend, but they have won three of their last four matches in all competitions and only conceded once.
Bournemouth possible starting lineup: Boric, Smith, Francis, Distin, Daniels, Iturbe, Ritchie, Gosling, Stanislas, King, Afobe.
Everton possible starting lineup: Robles, Coleman, Jagielka, Stones, Baines, Barry, McCarthy, Osman, Barkley, Deulofeu, Lukaku.