AFC Bournemouth vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Date: 15/09/17
K.O: 20.00pm
Bournemouth and Brighton play host to an immensely important Premier League game for both sides on Friday night, with Eddie Howe’s men desperate to gain their first win of the 2017/18 campaign.
Brighton; under Chris Hughton, have started steadily in their first ever top flight campaign – a home win against West Bromwich Albion last weekend marking their first three points of the season. Contrastingly, Bournemouth have lost four games on the bounce, and as Eddie Howe stated himself last weekend “I’m under pressure, I know that”.
Howe is expected to make changes to the XI that lost 3-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates last weekend, with Ryan Fraser expected to recover from an ankle injury, and Simon Francis could make his first start of the season after getting 45 minutes under his belt vs Arsenal last weekend. Junior Stanislas and Callum Wilson remain sidelined, and Howe is expected to stick with Josh King and Jermain Defoe up top for the Cherries.
Chris Hughton has confirmed Bruno is back in the Brighton squad following a back injury, whilst Hughton hinted in midweek he is unlikely to make changes to his midfield, currently comprising of Anthony Knockaert, Dale Stephens, Davy Propper and Solly March.
Izzy Brown (hamstring) returned to training on Tuesday, and Pascal Gross is expected to be again deployed behind the central striker – Tomer Hemed.
Bournemouth expected starting XI:
Begovic; Francis, Cook, Ake; Smith, Arter, Surman, Gosling, Daniels; King, Defoe.
Brighton expected starting XI:
Ryan; Bruno, Dunk, Duffy, Sutner; Knockaert, Stephens, Propper, March; Gross, Hemed.
Prediction: Bournemouth 3 Brighton 1
Written by Tom Newman.
