
Tottenham host Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon who will be looking to back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time in 2025. The Cherries, however, will be hoping to get their European target back on track after two defeats on the spin. Bournemouth won the reverse fixture 1-0, and three points could see them sneak back into the top six by the end of the weekend.
While Spurs fans are getting to grips that they are unlikely to return to Europe next season, there has been some level of progress in recent weeks. Three Premier League wins from their last five matches puts them in the top five in the five-match form table, having beaten Brentford, Man United and Ipswich.
And while they remain nine points behind Aston Villa in 10th, players are slowly returning from injury - which has been the most obvious reason for their demise this campaign. Ange Postecoglou will be setting that their target for the remainder of the season, and a win against Bournemouth might well be vital if they are to achieve that come May.
Bournemouth have endured a wonderful season but back-to-back defeats against Wolves and Brighton has slowed down their chances of Champions League football. There's still every opportunity that they will get into Europe next season, but they'll need to quickly get out of their slump if they are to achieve that.
On the road, they've performed incredibly well. The Cherries have only lost two of their last 10, beating Man United, Newcastle and Everton on their travels. However, all of that will count for nothing if they continue to choke - and a tie against a rejuvenated Spurs side might be more difficult than the table suggests.
It's currently 3-2 Spurs in the most recent head-to-heads, although Tottenham have won four of their last five meetings in front of their own supporters. Last season they ran out comfortable 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Pape Matar Sarr, Heung-Min Son and Richarlison.
But Tottenham will know the threat Bournemouth carry on their travels. With the 5th best record on the road, Andoni Iraola has turned his side into a well oiled machine who are capable of beating anyone if they turn up and perform. This looks to be a really intriguing match - especially for the neutral.
With Spurs beginning to find their feet after a poor run of form and with Bournemouth desperate to get back on track, we might witness plenty of goalmouth action on Sunday afternoon.
Considering Spurs are sat in 14th place, only Brentford have scored more goals at home than the North London club. So, it doesn't take a genius to work out why they are so far down the table.
Having conceded 24 in 14 matches, only six other Premier League clubs have conceded more in front of their fans. Bournemouth, on the other hand, have scored 28 on the road this season - more than Arsenal, Forest, Chelsea and Man City, to name a few.
In fact, you have to go all the way back to November the last time the Cherries drew a blank away from home. However, Spurs have only failed to score in two home games this season - Man City and Arsenal - and their 4-1 win away to Ipswich a couple of weeks ago showed how ruthless they can be when they turn up.
This is a fixture that often produces goals, with four of the last five producing at least four goals, with three of them seeing both teams score. Spurs are trying to finish the season strongly, while Bournemouth are chasing their European dream. Everything is set up nicely for an open game of football - especially if there's an early goal.
And if we are to side with history, as well as recent form, you can back over 3.5 match goals at evens with bet365. Good luck if you're following.
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