Southampton vs Bournemouth prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-04-26 18:45.
Many Southampton fans may have been content with a point away to Premier League (PL) leaders Arsenal ahead of Friday’s contest. However, Saints boss Rubén Sellés lamented the eventual 3-3 draw as feeling like they’ve “dropped two points” considering the Saints led 2-0 and 3-1 in that game. Subsequently, their winless run now stands at seven games (D3, L4), and with a yawning gap to safety, the rock-bottom club need a winning run and quick.
This could be an ideal fixture to begin the Saints’ road to redemption as they’re handed an opportunity to record a first winning league double against South Coast rivals Bournemouth since the pair were in League One back in 2010/11. However, hindering them in that aim may be the fact that Southampton are the only PL side averaging fewer points per game at home (0.63) than away (0.88), with just two wins from 16 home league matches (W2, D4, L10).
A run of three wins from Bournemouth’s last five games means they can’t end this round in the bottom three, although a 4-0 thumping at the hands of West Ham in the previous round suggests there is still work to be done. Cherries boss Gary O’Neil was fairly relaxed in his assessment that his side “couldn’t cope” with their opponents, but that they remain in a good place ahead of this clash.
An improvement on the road has boosted the Cherries’ survival bid with back-to-back away league wins ahead of this round, which represents as many travelling successes as they had recorded in their first 14 trips (W2, D2, L10). Another victory would break a pair of records though, as Bournemouth have never put together a three-game winning run of away PL games, whilst Southampton have never lost more than ten home league games in a season!
Players to watch: Carlos Alcaraz was controversially substituted at half-time against Arsenal despite scoring and assisting for Southampton; the Argentine also scored the only goal in his side’s last home win. Bournemouth’s last two league wins both came away from home, and Dominic Solanke contributed to three of their four goals across those victories (G1, A2).
Hot streak: Bournemouth are winless in each of their last nine PL games played between Tuesday and Thursday (D2, L7).