AFC Bournemouth are back at Vitality Stadium on Monday night, with Crystal Palace the visitors for the Premier League game.
AFC BOURNEMOUTH V CRYSTAL PALACE
MONDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2018
PREMIER LEAGUE
VITALITY STADIUM
Following the Cherries dramatic 3-2 win over Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup in midweek, Bournemouth return to Vitality Stadium for Premier League football with Crystal Palace. Last season, a lively second half resulted in a 2-2 draw in this fixture, as Joshua King’s late equaliser salvaged a point for Eddie Howe’s side.
Crystal Palace have had a respectable start to their 2018/19 campaign, overcoming a string of three successive defeats across August and September to pick up four points from their last two league games and a 3-0 win over West Brom in the Carabao Cup. Seven points from their first six league games puts them eleventh in the standings ahead of the weekend.
LAST TIME OUT
WEST BROM 0-3 CRYSTAL PALACE
Like Bournemouth, Palace advanced to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a win in midweek.
Andros Townsend scored a brace, including an impressive solo effort, as Roy Hodgson’s side travelled to The Hawthorns on Tuesday. Patrick van Aanholt also got on the score sheet as the visitors comfortably progressed in the competition.
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Kelly, Riedewald (Wan-Bissaka 21), Van Aanholt (Souare 80), Puncheon, Meyer, Kouyaté, Townsend (Ayew 85), Schlupp, Sørloth.
2017/18 top scorer: Luka Milivojevic (10 goals)
TEAM NEWS
Jairo Riedewald is a doubt for this game after he picked up an injury against West Brom in midweek, while Christian Benteke’s fitness is being monitored on a daily basis to see if he will be in contention on Monday.
Connor Wickham is close to full fitness following a calf strain, while Scott Dann remains sidelined with an ACL injury.
THE MANAGER
After losing their first four games at the start of the 2017/18 season, Palace turned to Roy Hodgson in a bid to change their fortunes. The side lost their first three league games under him, extending the start of the season to seven successive defeats, before the 71-year-old turned the form around to finish the season in eleventh. That comeback made Hodgson’s Palace side the only one to have ever survived relegation after losing their first seven games in Premier League history.
Prior to his tenure at Selhurst Park, Hodgson gained managerial experience across the continent, including spells at Switzerland, Inter Milan, and Liverpool.
TOP STAT
The game will be the first time this season that the Cherries will be on TV.
