Bournemouth vs. Tottenham
Venue: Vitality Stadium
Kick off: 5PM
Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth welcome the visit of Tottenham Hotspur to the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League, as the seaside club aim to put an end to a run that has seen them go three games without a win.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham side enter the clash having been eliminated by Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League, and they will be hoping to bounce straight back with a domestic victory on the road.
Howe has continued to show why he is regarded as one of England’s most promising coaches with another fairly consistent season at the helm of Bournemouth.
Howe has now led the Cherries into a run which has seen the club lose just one of their last 10 league matches, having won four and drawn five.
That undefeated record over the same period has only been bettered by Spurs, who are unbeaten in their last 11.
With nine games to play, Bournemouth currently sit in 12th place in the standings and they will know that relegation still remains a slender possibility, with six points separating the Cherries and 18th-placed Crystal Palace.
Still to face three top-six sides, Bournemouth had thought they were able to earn three crucial points against Leicester City last time out, only to be undone by a late leveller from Riyad Mahrez during injury time.
That result means that Howe’s men have been unable to pick up a win from their last three games in the league, leaving the Cherries slightly looking over their collective shoulder at those scrapping to avoid relegation.
If there is one trait this Bournemouth side carries in bags, though, it is determination and Howe will know that heading into a crucial back-end of the campaign.
No other team in the league have claimed more points from losing positions than the Cherries this term.
Meanwhile, Spurs are undefeated in the Premier League since the middle of December and head into today’s fixture having won four of their five league meetings with Howe’s men.
The measure of Spurs’ progression has not only been highlighted by their recent showings in the Champions League, as domestic victories over Manchester United and Arsenal have both offered signs of a Tottenham side growing all the time.
Central to their continual rise has been the impact of frontman Harry Kane, who now stands as the league’s joint top scorer this term.
The England international has six goals in his four league games against the Cherries.
Three of those came courtesy of a hat-trick during his only game at the Vitality Stadium three years ago.
Bournemouth possible XI: Begovic, Francis, Cook, Ake, Daniels, Smith, Cook Gosling, Stanislas; King, Wilson.
Tottenham Hotspur possible XI: Lloris, Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Rose, Wanyama, Dembele, Eriksen, Alli, Lamela, Kane.