Spurs v Bournemouth preview, predictions & confirmed XIs
Jose Mourinho will be aiming to secure a third successive victory since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino in Tottenham vs Bournemouth on Saturday.
Spurs just about overcame West Ham United last weekend before coming back to beat Olympiacos in midweek. But will the ‘new manager bounce’ lose its spring when the Cherries come to town?
Bournemouth have won just one of their last seven Premier League outings, but they will be keen to take advantage of any uncertainty in the Tottenham defence.
Read on for our preview, team news, key men, possible line-ups, predictions and more.
When is Tottenham vs Bournemouth and what TV channel is it on?
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Date: Saturday, 3o November 2019
Kick-off: 3.00 PM (UK time)
TV coverage (UK): N/A
Past meetings: Tottenham vs Bournemouth
4 May 2019: Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham (Premier League)
26 December 2018: Tottenham 5-0 Bournemouth (Premier League)
11 March 2018: Bournemouth 1-4 Tottenham (Premier League)
14 October 2017: Tottenham 1-0 Bournemouth (Premier League)
15 April 2017: Tottenham 4-0 Bournemouth (Premier League)
Aggregate Score: Tottenham (LWWWW) 14-2 Bournemouth (WLLLL)
Ones to watch
Tottenham: Heung-Min Son
Son was electrifying at West Ham last weekend, opening the scoring and setting up Tottenham’s second goal with an inch-perfect cross for Lucas Moura. However, he was arguably Spurs’ worst attacking performer against Olympiacos, running up blind alleys and struggling to make an impact.
The South Korean will be eager to show Mourinho why he should be a guaranteed starter, and Bournemouth could be made to pay if they don’t double-up on him.
Key stat: Son has registered more shots on target than any of his Spurs teammates in the Premier League this term (14).
Bournemouth: Ryan Fraser
Despite uncertainty over his Bournemouth future, Fraser remains one of Eddie Howe’s most important players. With Spurs continuing to look uncertain at the back, the Scotland international could exploit any gaps left by the hosts and threaten Paulo Gazzaniga’s goal on the counter.
If he can’t fashion goalscoring opportunities for himself, Fraser is bound to lay on some chances for his partner-in-crime Callum Wilson. That is, if he recovers from a knock sustained earlier this week in training, as Howe is hoping.
Key stat: No Bournemouth or Tottenham player has created more chances than Fraser in the Premier League this season (17).
Team news
Tottenham
Jan Vertonghen and Tanguy Ndombele both returned to the bench against Olympiacos and start here. Eric Dier, a victim of Mourinho’s tactical substitution in the first half on Tuesday, retains his spot.
Ben Davies is out with an ankle injury. Michel Vorm is also sidelined while Erik Lamela remains a doubt.
Confirmed XI: Gazzaniga; Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Dier, Ndombele; Sissoko, Dele, Son; Kane.
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Bournemouth
David Brooks is still out with an ankle injury, while Josh King is a doubt with a hamstring problem. Captain Simon Francis is suspended after seeing red against Wolves last weekend. Lloyd Kelly, Dominic Solanke and Fraser all face late fitness tests but, as mentioned above, Howe is hopeful the latter will recover from a deg leg sustained earlier this week in training.
Confirmed XI: Ramsdale; Stacey, S. Cook, Ake, Rico; Fraser, Lerma, L. Cook, Groeneveld; Solanke, C. Wilson.
Squawka prediction
Tottenham are yet to improve defensively under Mourinho, meaning Bournemouth could give them yet another test. Indeed, the hosts may concede twice for the third game in a row, but the Cherries’ makeshift backline will struggle to cope with Spurs’ rejuvenated attack.
Scoreline prediction: Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
