January 4, 5:00 p.m. Bournemouth. Dean Court Stadium
English Premier League. Day 20
Bournemouth vs Everton (Liverpool)
Suspensions : None
Injured: Alex Scott, Julian Araujo, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, Adam Smith, Marcus Tavernier, Marcos Senesi – Dwight McNeil, Seamus Coleman (both doubtful), Timothy Iroegbunam, James Garner
Bournemouth vs Everton : Cotes des Paris
Bournemouth
Compared to the last day, Bournemouth fell two places in the standings, but that did not shake Andoni Iraola’s morale. The Cherries manager is happy with the result of their away match against Fulham.
Bournemouth traveled to London with significant player losses, including their top scorer (Justin Kluivert was suspended), their starting right back (Adam Smith) and his rival (Julian Araujo). On defense, Iraola put his faith in youngster James Hill, who had previously only played five minutes this season. Additionally, playmaker Philip Billing started for the first time this season, with David Brooks, who had mainly been used as a substitute, starting on the right flank of the attack. In this rather experimental line-up, Bournemouth fell behind twice against Fulham but found the strength to come back and extend their unbeaten run to seven games. In that game, Hill provided an assist, and Evannilson ended his seven-game goalless drought.
A special mention goes to Dango Ouattara, who has become a real joker for Andoni Iraola this season. In London, the Burkinabé winger scored his fourth goal contribution after coming on as a substitute.
Everton
The Toffees ended the year on a disappointing note. After a series of encouraging draws against the giants of English football, Everton fell at home to Nottingham Forest by a score of 0-2. For Sean Dyche’s side, the defeat was their first in five games and only the second in eight matches – it all looked pretty steady and decent, especially compared to their poor start to the season. However, taking a step back, Everton’s situation is not as good as it seems. Dyche’s team are in sixteenth position, just two points clear of the relegation zone. Additionally, the Toffees have won just one of their last ten matches, failing to score in seven of those encounters. This trend is concerning, especially with a series of games against teams with ambitious goals on the horizon.
Bournemouth vs Everton : Compositions Probables
Andoni Iraola is expected to make minimal changes to the team, recalling Justin Kluivert and Dango Ouattara to the starting XI. James Hill should keep his place in the starting eleven, according to British media forecasts. As for Everton, Sean Dyche will likely continue to rotate his attacking trio. Dominic Calvert-Lewin could return to lead the attack, while Jesper Lindstrom could be positioned on the flank.
Bournemouth vs Everton: Author’s Prediction
The clash between Bournemouth and Everton is renowned for its goal-rich nature. In the previous 15 Premier League clashes, at least three goals have been scored in 12 of them, with both teams trading goals in ten games, averaging 3.6 goals per game. However, I suspect that Bournemouth and Everton might not deliver such a goal-rich encounter this time around. The visitors’ form is particularly worrying: only Southampton have scored fewer goals than the Toffees this season, and according to xG, Dyche’s side are currently bottom of the Premier League table. As a conservative bet, I recommend considering a Bournemouth win with a goal total under (3.5), and my prediction is a Bournemouth win with a goal total under (4.5).
