Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Tottenham Hotspur have made an almost flawless start to the season, yet Arsenal still lead them in the English Premier League. It is time to try to dislodge them from top spot. AFC Bournemouth provide the next test, but will the squad prove accommodating?
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur have banked the maximum six points and a +5 goal difference, with two clean sheets for Guglielmo Vicario. Even a meeting with Manchester City did not knock them off stride. Manchester City are not in crisis, with Rodrigo Hernández back on the pitch, yet the team still won 2:0. The new head coach Thomas Frank has been alternating versions of a 4-3-3, chiefly tweaking the tip of the midfield triangle. Against AFC Bournemouth, the expectation is an inverted triangle with a single pivot at the base. The Dane currently has such depth that even Dominic Solanke, signed last year for €64m, is coming off the bench.
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth do not enjoy such luxuries. The board invested heavily in defence, because that is where the squad suffered the biggest losses. Bafodé Diakité, a €35m arrival, has ranged from a middling 5.8 against Liverpool to a strong 7.2 versus Wolverhampton Wanderers, although the level of opposition differed. In midweek the Frenchman also featured in the EFL Cup, yet neither he (6.6) nor the team produced anything noteworthy, and they lost to Brentford (0:2).
Tottenham Hotspur vs AFC Bournemouth Prediction
Andoni Iraola has not yet fully integrated the remaining defenders, so lapses are likely to continue. Even last season, despite a lofty sixth place in the away standings, AFC Bournemouth conceded 1.6 goals per game. On Saturday, judging by Tottenham Hotspur’s form, they look set to concede and be beaten again.
