Premier League: Cherries Must End League Slide to Keep Up

Tottenham Hotspur vs Bournemouth

Bournemouth need a Premier League victory this weekend to keep up in the intensifying race for European football next season. Andoni Iraola’s side are stuck in seventh place with 43 points since they’ve lost three of their last four matches, and they’ll visit North London this Sunday to take on Tottenham.

The Cherries lost back-to-back league matches against the Wolves and Seagulls, but they somehow bounced back with an FA Cup victory against the Wolves last weekend. If they beat the Spurs and certain Premier League 2025 results go their way, Bournemouth can rise to the fifth spot in the English top-flight standings.

Tottenham are the 13^th seed with 33 points. Ange Postecoglou’s men have shown signs of life recently with three wins on the bounce. However, they’re coming off back-to-back losses against Manchester City and AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League Round of 16.

 

Talking Points

Tottenham’s injury list is easing up

Tottenham have fared better recently because they’ve had a healthier squad. Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, and Wilson Odobert are back on the bench for Ange Postecoglou. Vicario, Johnson, Maddison, and Udogie started last night’s match against AZ Alkmaar, and Odobert came off the bench.

Because of the short turnaround between last night’s match and this Sunday’s game against Bournemouth, Postecoglou might tinker with his starting XI. Vicario should stay in goal. Romero or van de Ven could take one of the centre-half spots alongside Kevin Danso. Pape Matar Sarr might replace Lucas Bergvall. Solanke could give Mathys Tel – their prized winter transfer window acquisition – the night off.

James Maddison and Brennan Johnson lead the Spurs in scoring with nine league goals each, and they have seven assists combined. Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke also pose danger in the final third, having scored seven league goals each and combining for seven assists this year.

Tottenham also needs a stronger performance from their captain Heung-Min Son. The South Korean international – who leads the Spurs with nine assists – logged 72 unproductive minutes against AZ Alkmaar yesterday.

 

Positive lineup dilemma for Bournemouth

Bournemouth’s injury list has also eased up recently, especially up front, as Evanilson has given them a massive frontline boost. The Brazilian livewire replaced Dango Ouattara in the starting lineup against Wolves last Saturday, and he delivered by scoring the first goal during the half-hour mark.

Evanilson came off the match during the 67^th minute to rest him ahead against Tottenham. He is expected to start this weekend because he is the team’s only available bona fide No. 9.

Matheus Cunha scored the equaliser to send the match to a penalty shootout. However, Bournemouth got a lucky break, as Cunha didn’t participate in the shootout after getting a red card in the 120th minute for headbutting Milos Kerkez. Bournemouth edged Wolves 5-4 to advance to the next round.

 

History

Tottenham and Bournemouth will meet for the second time this season. Bournemouth won 1-0 in the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium, as Dean Huijsen headed the ball into the back of the net in the 17^th minute for his first Premier League goal. The Cherries aim to notch their first league double over Spurs.

The Spurs have won six of their seven Premier League home games against the Cherries, with their lone loss being a 3-2 result in April 2023. However, Tottenham have lost seven Premier League home games this season – their joint-most in a 38-game campaign (level with 1996-97).

Bournemouth have lost three of their last four Premier League matches (W1) – as many as they had in their previous 18 (W10, D5). They have yet to lose three in a row since May 2024.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds predict a close fight between the Spurs and Cherries. Bournemouth have a slight edge at 2.38 odds, whereas Tottenham are at 2.45, and a draw is priced at 3.65 in the 1X2 market. Bournemouth have been better than Tottenham this season, so they should complete a league double over them despite their inconsistent form.

We guess that we won’t see too many goals from this fixture. So, besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP bettors can also go for options like Under 3.75 at 1.60, Under 3.50 at 1.82, Under 3.25 at 2.07, and even Total Goal 0-1 at 5.50. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of the Cherries – the result of their last league encounter – is priced at 15.00 your bet.

   

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