Bournemouth vs Fulham prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-03-31 14:00.
Manager Gary O’Neil has admitted his Bournemouth side need to hit the ground running on their return from the international break. The South Coast side are just one point from safety after a run of three defeats in four outings (W1), but with six of their remaining 11 fixtures to be played against teams currently in the bottom half of the Premier League (PL) table, O’Neil will know it’s still all to play for.
That run of games starts at the Vitality Stadium, where Bournemouth picked up a surprise 1-0 win over Liverpool last time out, but had won just one of their seven outings prior (D2, L4). The H2H history hints that they should be hopeful of building on that against visitors Fulham, given the Cherries have lost just two of the 17 meetings between these two sides (W8, D7).
The Cottagers were actually promoted back to the top flight alongside Bournemouth last season, but have fared somewhat better on their return to the PL. Hopes of qualifying for European football for the first time in over a decade have been hit by back-to-back league defeats to Brentford and Arsenal, as well as an FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United, but they still occupy a spot in the top half.
Fulham are still feeling the ramifications of the latter of those three losses, as manager Marco Silva has been slapped with an improper conduct charge by the FA for angrily letting rip at match officials after stars Willian and Aleksandar Mitrović were sent off at Old Trafford. Their absences will severely deplete the Cottagers’ attacking options as they attempt to end a run of just two wins in their last eight league outings (D2, L4), during which time they have netted only six goals.
Key battle: Bournemouth defender Adam Smith is unbeaten in seven previous appearances against Fulham (W4, D3), helping his side keep three clean sheets in the process. He may be looking to thwart striker Manor Solomon, who has scored five times in his last seven matches for the Cottagers (W3, D1, L3), four of which have been the first or last strike of the game.
Hot stat: Only ten of Bournemouth’s 27 PL games have seen both teams score – a joint low for the division.