Two Premier League teams under mounting pressure to turn their fortunes around and escape the relegation zone lock horns at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, as Bournemouth play host to Burnley.
While the Cherries are languishing in 19th place and are still searching for their first league win of the campaign, the Clarets are just one point and one place better off in 18th.
Match preview
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Bournemouth's dismal start to the 2023-24 campaign under new head coach Andoni Iraola continued last weekend when they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers despite leading at half time.
Dominic Solanke's 17th-minute opener was cancelled out just three minutes after the break by Matheus Cunha, before the foolish dismissal of Lewis Cook for headbutting Hwang Hee-chan ultimately proved costly as Wolves snatched all three points courtesy of 88th-minute strike from Sasa Kalajdzic.
So far this season, no Premier League team has dropped more points from winning positions that Bournemouth (11), who remain winless from their first nine games and have suffered defeat in each of their last four, leaving the Cherries in the relegation zone, albeit only two points adrift of 17th-placed Luton Town.
Iraola is seemingly running out of time to turn Bournemouth's fortunes around, as reports have emerged that the 41-year-old is set for showdown talks with the club's hierarchy before Saturday's clash with Burnley to discuss his future.
The Cherries can ill-afford to drop more points in a favourable-looking fixture against Burnley, considering that tricky encounters with Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United are on the horizon.
Hopes of opening their account on Saturday could prove challenging, though, as Bournemouth have succumbed in six of their last eight league meetings with Burnley, losing each of their last four in the process.
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Burnley are only one point better off than Bournemouth after nine matches, with four points accumulated from encounters with Nottingham Forest and Luton – drawing 1-1 with the former in September before beating the latter 2-1 at the beginning of this month.
All four points were picked up away from home, which bodes well heading into Saturday's clash at the Vitality Stadium, although they were put to the sword 3-0 by Brentford in their most recent away match last weekend.
Goals either side of half time from Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo took place before Connor Roberts was dismissed 12 minutes from time for two bookable offences, and salt was then rubbed into Burnley's wounds when Saman Ghoddos netted a third for the Bees in the closing stages.
Six months after being crowned champions of the Championship, Vincent Kompany's youthful side are staring down the barrel of a relegation scrap and a possible return to the second tier, and they must find a way to quickly adjust to the rigours of top-flight football if they are to prevent a clear gap to safety from emerging.
Improvements in defence will be high on Kompany's agenda as Burnley have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 14 Premier League matches, including all nine this term – their longest run without a top-flight shutout since a dreadful run of 29 between November 2009 and August 2014.
Nevertheless, Burnley will fancy their chances of claiming a positive result on Saturday, as they have won each of their last three Premier League visits to Bournemouth; only against Manchester United (five between 1914 and 1921) and Blackburn Rovers (four between 1962 and 1966) have the Clarets won more successive away games in the top flight.
Team News
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Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook will serve a three-match ban following his red card last weekend, while goalkeeper Neto has been ruled out for a month with an ankle injury, joining Tyler Adams (thigh), Ryan Fredericks (calf) and Emiliano Marcondes (ankle) on the sidelines.
Ionut Radu is therefore set to start between the sticks, while Joe Rothwell is the most likely candidate to replace Cook in centre-midfield, starting alongside Alex Scott who made his Premier League debut for the Cherries against Wolves after recovering from a knee injury.
A back four of Max Aarons, Illia Zabarnyi, Lloyd Kelly and Milos Kerkez could remain intact, while Ryan Christie, Dango Ouattara and Justin Kluivert will all be pushing for starts on the flanks at the expense of David Brooks and Marcus Tavernier.
As for Burnley, Roberts will serve a one-game suspension following his sending off last weekend, while Michael Obafemi (hamstring) and Jordan Beyer (knock) remain in the treatment room with injuries; Hjalmar Ekdal (knee), Manuel Benson (ankle) and Johann Berg Gudmundsson (calf) are all closing in on a return but Saturday's game may come too soon for the trio.
Vitinho missed the defeat at Brentford, but the Brazilian could return this weekend to replace Roberts at right-back, potentially joining Ameen Al-Dakhil, Dara O'Shea and Charlie Taylor in the back four.
Kompany may ponder changes in midfield, with Josh Brownhill, Jack Cork, Aaron Ramsey and Han-Noah Massengo all in contention to replace either Sander Berge or Josh Cullen, while teenage winger Luca Koleosho could return to the first XI at the expense of either Wilson Odobert or Mike Tresor.
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Radu; Aarons, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Rothwell; Tavernier, Billing, Sinisterra; Solanke
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Vitinho, Al-Dakhil, O'Shea, Taylor; Cullen, Brownhill; Tresor, Amdouni, Koleosho; Foster
We say: Bournemouth 2-2 Burnley
Although it may be too early in the season to label this fixture as a six-pointer, there is no downplaying the importance of this match between two teams desperate to claim maximum points in their quest to climb away from the drop zone.
A combined 43 goals have been conceded by Bournemouth and Burnley so far this season, suggesting that there could be plenty of goalmouth action on Saturday, but with little to separate these two out-of-form teams, an entertaining score draw could be on the cards.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
