Bournemouth take on West Ham as Premier League returns.
Bournemouth vs. West Ham kicks off at 15:00 [GMT] on Saturday, November 22, at the Vitality Stadium.
The Vitality Stadium hosts an important Premier League clash on Friday as the Premier League resumes. Bournemouth welcome West Ham in a meeting between two sides at the opposing end of the table. Bournemouth are in 9th place with 18 points, enjoying a strong opening to their campaign, with only two points keeping them outside the top three. Bournemouth’s home form has been one of the driving forces behind their positive start. The Cherries have won four of their last six home matches and remain unbeaten in their last six Premier League outings at the Vitality. Their resilience on home turf is further highlighted by a run of eight unbeaten from their last nine home league matches, a period in which they have consistently shown organisation, intensity, and composure in key moments. However, their record against West Ham presents a more cautious picture. Bournemouth have beaten the Hammers only once in their last ten meetings in all competitions, and four of the last six encounters have ended in draws. Additionally, Bournemouth have conceded at least one goal in ten consecutive matches against the London club, underlining a persistent defensive vulnerability in this particular fixture. Nevertheless, they would be keen to put an end to a recent dip which leaves them with back-to-back defeats [WDWLL]. Evanilson is expected at the attacking end of Bournemouth’s 4—2—3—1 formation.
West Ham sit deep in trouble in 18th place, having collected just 10 points from their first set of fixtures, though a revival appears to be on the horizon with the side picking up back-to-back victories following the recent 3-2 win over Burnley [LLLWW]. However, having lost 60% of their last five Premier League away matches and just one win in their last six away games across all competitions, it remains to be seen if the Hammers can pick up three victories in a row. Defensively, they continue to struggle as well, having conceded in eight straight matches in all competitions. Despite their issues, West Ham have still been involved in entertaining contests, with over 2.5 goals scored in their last three Premier League matches, suggesting that even in defeat they are capable of creating chances and leaving space at the other end. A high-energy contest with goals at both ends would not be surprising, but Bournemouth’s momentum gives them the edge heading into this clash at the Vitality. A 4—2—3—1 formation is expected with Callum Wilson in attack.