It was ultimately Bournemouth who spelt the fate for the struggling Sunderland side last week as they rode to a 1-0 win over the Black Cats. The win has now placed the Cherries in the 10th position of the league table above defending champions Leicester City with one point having played an extra game.
With 41 points in the bag and only three more games to go, the Cherries have surely escaped relegation despite leading 18th placed Swansea City by just nine points. Eddie Howe’s men face a tricky opponent next in Stoke City. With nothing to lose now, the side winning only takes a big step towards a top half finish.
The Cherries haven’t met the Potters that many times in the Premier League and Saturday will be only their fourth meeting. Bournemouth managed an away win in the reverse fixture earlier this season and Stoke’s away record to Bournemouth isn’t very encouraging either.
Predicted Bournemouth XI vs Stoke City
Defence
Artur Boruc will once again take his position under the bar. He has started 33 games for Bournemouth this season out of the 35 played, and although he has conceded 60 goals, is the best option Howe has at the moment. He had a decent game against Sunderland and will hope for a similar show against Stoke.
After a solid defensive performance away from home, Howe will hope for his back-line to gain some confidence. We expect it to remain the same for the next game. The full-back positions are expected to be taken by Charlie Daniels and Adam Smith. With the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri coming at them, it won’t be an easy task.
Howe has continued to play without Tyrone Mings in the central defence. While his aggressive displays were missed against Tottenham Hotspur, the manager stuck with the likes of Steve Cook and Simon Francis in the central defence. The duo has brought some much-needed composure at the back in recent games.
Midfield
The central midfield will be handled by Lewis Cook and Harry Arter. April has been a terrible month for Bournemouth. Two of their central midfielders Andrew Surman and Jack Wilshere were sidelined for the season. And if that was not enough, Dan Gosling had to be pulled out before the Sunderland game with a calf injury.
Attack
The flanks should be taken by Marc Pugh and Ryan Fraser. Junior Stanislas had to come on in the second-half with Benik Afobe limping off, but we expect him to start from the bench.
The attack will be continued to be spearheaded by Joshua King and Benik Afobe.
