Tottenham Hotspur vs AFC Bournemouth
Date: 30/11/2019
K/O: 15:00
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Referee: Lee Mason
Bournemouth travel to North London on the last day of November to take on Tottenham Hotspur, who have won both their games under new manager Jose Mourinho.
It’s been a hectic start to life under Mourinho for Tottenham, beating West Ham 3-2 last Saturday before a 4-2 thriller unfolded at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the midweek Champions League fixture against Olympiacos. The hosts came back from 2-0 down to grab the victory that sends them safely into the knockout stages of the competition.
This takes a huge amount of pressure off of Spurs’ shoulders as they enter the busy Christmas period, as the squad will not need a result when they face Bayern Munich in the last game of the Champions League group stage.
A victory against Bournemouth would continue to steadily increase the team’s confidence and momentum, although things are far from perfect in the Spurs team, especially in the defensive department. Spurs were cruising against West Ham last weekend but conceded two sloppy goals at the end of the match. In contrast, Mourinho’s men conceded two within 20 minutes on Tuesday but completed an important comeback in the second half.
Still, you can’t complain that Mourinho has brought boring football to North London, with the Lilywhites providing terrific entertainment, much like the football they gave us for so long under Pochettino. Likewise, Bournemouth are an exciting team to watch and will likely supply us with a competitive match.
The Cherries sit one place behind Spurs in 11th and, with one win in seven league fixtures, Eddie Howe may be starting to wonder whether his team will ever be able to maintain momentum from the fast starts they seem to always get in the Premier League.
Bournemouth’s last fixture saw them lose 2-1 to now fifth-placed Wolves after Simon Francis was shown a second yellow in the first half. The tight nature of the mid-section of the Premier League means that Bournemouth could slip to as low as 17th or rise to the heights of sixth place this weekend, but the Cherries will need to drastically improve on recent form if the latter is to happen.
Bournemouth’s attacking pair Fraser and Wilson were recently commemorated by the Premier League for each picking up their 100th appearance. 12 of Bournemouth’s 56 goals last season came from a link-up between the two players, but the pair have only combined once so far this season. Perhaps the reason behind Bournemouth’s recent struggles is a decrease in the chemistry between these two players.
Team News
Tottenham Hotspur
The starting lineup in Spurs’ midweek Champions League game only saw one deviation from Mourinho’s squad for the previous league game. Danny Rose was swapped in for Ben Davies after the Welshman was brought off with an ankle injury in that match against West Ham. The left-back may return to action on Saturday afternoon however.
Meanwhile, Erik Lamela remains unavailable with a hamstring injury, while goalkeepers Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm are also out due to respective elbow and calf injuries.
On the brighter side, Tanguy Ndombele played for around ten minutes on Tuesday and could make a first start for Spurs under Mourinho. Jan Vertonghen also looks to be close to a return and could make an appearance.
AFC Bournemouth
Josh King, who picked up a hamstring injury on international duty, will remain unavailable on the weekend. David Brooks, Charlie Daniels and Junior Stanislas also remain out with their respective injuries.
Dominic Solanke injured himself while warming up from the bench last weekend and thus may miss out on Saturday. Andrew Surman is also a doubt for Bournemouth as the midfielder continues to recover from a knee problem.
Bournemouth have two suspended players ahead of Saturday’s match. Philip Billing has picked up five yellow cards this season, while Simon Francis was sent off for a second yellow last week. Both will be suspended for the game against Spurs.
Predicted Starting XIs
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Rose, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Aurier; Winks, Ndombele; Son, Alli, Lucas; Kane
AFC Bournemouth (4-4-1-1): Ramsdale; Rico, Ake, Steve Cook, Smith; Groeneveld, Lerma, Lewis Cook, Harry Wilson; Fraser; Callum Wilson
Score Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 AFC Bournemouth
With some crucial players out of action for Bournemouth, Mourinho will hope to overpower Eddie Howe’s men and claim a comfortable victory.
