Tottenham’s manager Ange Postecoglou’s vulnerability to being sacked in the Premier League has diminished in certain markets. However, the pressure persists following consecutive defeats; first a 1-0 loss at home against Manchester City, leaving them 11 points adrift of the top six, and then a 1-0 loss in the UEFA Europa League away match against AZ Alkmaar. The team’s slump throughout December and January initiated with a 1-0 loss against Bournemouth, where fans directed abuse towards Postecoglou. This discontent is likely to resurface before the upcoming fixture.
With Tottenham losing five out of seven Premier League home matches since facing Bournemouth last, with only one win and one draw, supporters may lack confidence in their ability to reverse the head-to-head outcome. Concerns deepen as the team’s record against top-performing clubs reveals a stark contrast, exemplified by a solitary 4-0 victory against Manchester City amidst ten league losses to clubs placed within the top eight positions.
Bournemouth’s current form is far from ideal, putting their most successful Premier League season in jeopardy of missing out on European football next season. The team recently faced consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time since November, although they managed to bounce back with a victory in the FA Cup against Wolves. Despite this, manager Andoni Iraola expressed dissatisfaction with their performance after the match.
The recent loss to Brighton, where one of the goals was scored from a penalty, might be excused, especially considering Bournemouth’s unbeaten streak in their last seven league away games (winning five and drawing two). Their impressive results against Newcastle (a 4-1 win) and Chelsea (a 2-2 draw) in January suggest the potential for another high-scoring away match, possibly marking the fifth consecutive away game with over 3.5 total goals scored.
Key Players to Keep an Eye On: Tottenham Hotspur tends to perform well when James Maddison finds the back of the net, securing victories in ten out of his recent 12 goal-scoring matches, with the latest one being in their previous Premier League match at home. On the other hand, Justin Kluivert from Bournemouth has netted ten goals out of his total 13 this season while playing away, two of which were in matches held in London.
Interesting Fact: In the past nine away games in the Premier League for Bournemouth, there have been over 2.5 goals scored in each match.
