Bournemouth has been one of the standout teams this season, currently occupying 6th place in the Premier League.
Their recent form has been particularly impressive, with three consecutive victories over Wolverhampton (4-2), Tottenham (1-0), and Ipswich (2-1), along with a home draw against West Ham (1-1).
Typically considered an underdog in English football, their performances have been a pleasant surprise. They head to Manchester United on Sunday with strong momentum.
Crystal Palace, on the other hand, has had a challenging start to the season and sits in 15th place, only four points clear of the relegation zone. Despite this, they have managed a five-match unbeaten streak in the league (2 wins, 3 draws), even though they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal in the English League Cup quarter-finals last week. Palace is set to face the Gunners again in the Premier League on Saturday.
Bournemouth’s injury list remains mostly the same, with defenders Araujo and Senesi still out, along with midfielder Scott and wingers Tavernier and Sinisterra, both of whom have been key to their offensive efforts. Recently, Ünal scored his first goals of the season but still trails behind Evanilson, Semenyo, and Kluivert in the scoring charts.
For Crystal Palace, important players like defender Rias and right-back Ward are still unavailable, along with midfielders França and Wharton. Up front, Mateta, who recently scored his 7th goal of the season in the Coupe de la Ligue, and Sarr, who has 3 goals in all competitions, remain significant attacking threats.
Prediction
Bournemouth is known for their exciting, attacking style of play. However, despite their offensive capabilities, all of their last 13 home games in the Premier League have featured no more than three goals. Crystal Palace’s away games tend to be similarly low-scoring, so a match with few goals is anticipated.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 Crystal Palace.
