Premier League Preview: Bournemouth vs Tottenham Hotspur – Thursday, December 5, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur travel to the south coast on Thursday night to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in a thrilling Premier League encounter. 

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs side will look to overcome their recent inconsistency as they take on Andoni Iraola’s Cherries, who have proven formidable at home this term.

Both clubs last met twelve months ago (31 December 2023), with Spurs claiming a 3-1 victory in North London. They will now seek to build on contrasting recent results as they aim to climb the Premier League table. 

Historically, the Cherries have struggled against Spurs, winning just two of their 14 Premier League meetings. Last season, they lost both encounters by an aggregate score of 5-1.

The bookmakers anticipate a closely contested match between Bournemouth and Tottenham at the Vitality Stadium. The Cherries are slight favorites at +135 on EveryGame, reflecting their solid recent home form. Spurs, despite their historical dominance in this tie, are priced narrowly higher at +175, indicating confidence in their attacking potential but caution due to their inconsistent performances so far. 

Bournemouth’s Home Form a Beacon of Hope (+135 at EveryGame) 

Bournemouth head into Thursday’s match buoyed by a historic 4-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. Justin Kluivert became the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick of penalties, while Evanilson made history by winning three penalties in a single match. Milos Kerkez added to the tally, helping secure the Cherries’ first away league win since August.

Currently sitting 13th with 18 points, Bournemouth are six points better off than at this stage last season. A victory on Thursday could see Andoni Iraola’s team leapfrog Spurs and move into 8th place before an upcoming trip to Ipswich Town on Sunday. 

The Vitality Stadium has become a fortress for Bournemouth, with three wins in their last four home league games, including remarkable wins against Arsenal (2-0) and Manchester City (2-1). However, they did suffer a recent setback with a home defeat to Brighton (2-1) in their first match after last month’s international break.

Bournemouth will be without Alex Scott, who scored the consolation goal against Tottenham last season, Julian Araujo, and Luis Sinisterra, while Lewis Cook is doubtful. On a positive note, Antoine Semenyo returns from suspension and is expected to start on the right flank, while Tyler Adams and Ryan Christie may continue in the middle of the park.

Up front, Justin Kluivert is likely to feature in a central attacking role behind Evanilson, with the Dutch attacker looking to build on his recent performance. 

Tottenham Look to Reclaim Momentum (+175 at EveryGame) 

Currently eighth in the table, six points shy of the top four, Ange Postecoglou’s side will aim to capitalize on Bournemouth’s defensive vulnerabilities. The Cherries have managed just one clean sheet throughout the campaign, which remarkably came against Arsenal.

Spurs’ record against Bournemouth is impressive, with 10 wins in 14 Premier League meetings. Their average of 2.5 goals per game against the Cherries is their highest against any team they’ve faced at least 10 times in the competition.

Spurs arrive on the back of two frustrating draws, including a stalemate against Roma in the Europa League and a 1-1 home draw with 10-man Fulham last weekend. 

Despite these results, Tottenham have showcased attacking prowess, scoring a league-high 28 goals in 13 matches this season (prior to Wednesday’s round of games and the latest results of the top-three sides). Their consistency away from home has been notable, failing to score in just one of their last 8 league games on the road – a 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in October.

Tottenham’s injury list includes first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, Dutch defender Micky van de Ven, as well as Richarlison and Wilson Odobert. Elsewhere, Argentine defender Cristian Romero and Archie Gray are both doubts, but Dominic Solanke could return after missing the Fulham draw due to illness. 

If Solanke is fully fit to start, the ex-Bournemouth striker will be eager to add to his tally (four goals in 10 top-flight appearances) at the venue where he made the biggest progress of his career over the past couple of years. 

Meanwhile, Uruguayan international Rodrigo Bentancur is unavailable as he serves the third match of his domestic suspension so Pape Sarr will likely continue alongside Yves Bissouma and James Maddison in central midfield.

Possible Starting Lineups of Bournemouth and Tottenham 

Bournemouth: Kepa Arrizabalaga – Adam Smith, Illya Zabarnyi, Marcos Senesi, Milos Kerkez – Tyler Adams, Ryan Christie – Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Marcus Tavernier – Evanilson. (4-2-3-1) 

Tottenham Hotspur: Fraser Forster – Pedro Porro, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie – Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison – Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke, Son Heung-min. (4-3-3) 

Spooky Express Betting Prediction 

Remarkably, Spurs average 2.5 goals per game against Bournemouth in the Premier League (35 goals in 14 matches).

Bournemouth, on the other hand, have scored in each of their last six matches and at least twice in each of their last four, suggesting a strong attacking threat.

With both teams showcasing firepower in recent games, fans at the Vitality Stadium could be treated to an end-to-end contest. With that said, an entertaining game with plenty of goals could be on the cards and we recommend Away Win or Draw and Over 2.5 Goals in Thursday’s league match between Bournemouth vs Tottenham. .

Spooky Express Free Play: Outcome And Totals – X2 (Tottenham Hotspur or Draw) and Over 2.5 Goals +140 at EveryGame for 5/10 Units at EveryGame