Bournemouth meet Fulham at the Vitaly Stadium as both teams aim to finish the Premier League season on a positive note.
The Cherries know victory here is crucial for their faint hopes of a top ten finish whilst Fulham are aiming to avoid finishing bottom of the league.
Team news
Bournemouth have no fresh injury concerns ahead of this clash as Eddie Howe celebrates his 500th game as a manager, which has included two stints with the Cherries either side of a 21 month spell at Burnley.
Lewis Cook and Simon Francis remain out with anterior cruciate ligament injuries until next season.
Andrew Surman (calf), Charlie Daniels (knee) and Diego Rico (ankle) are also ruled out for remainder of this season.
Fulham could have Floyd Ayite and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa available if they pass late fitness tests.
Alfie Mawson won’t be risked here as he continues his recovery from a knee injury but could return against Cardiff City next Saturday.
Marcus Bettinelli and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are sidelined with knee injuries whilst Lazar Markovic is out with a calf injury.
Form
Bournemouth arrive here with seven points from their last five league games, including a 5-0 thumping of Brighton last time out to end a two match losing run.
At home, The Cherries have taken nine points from a possible 21 so far in 2019 and defeat to Burnley in their last home game marked the first time since November that they had lost at home after scoring first.
Fulham ended a nine match losing streak with a 2-0 home win over Everton last weekend, although they have lost all seven away games in 2019.
The Cottagers have however scored in three of their last four away games but remain without an away point since a goalless draw at Newcastle just before Christmas.
Stat Attack
- Bournemouth are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Fulham (W5, D2).
- Bournemouth have won their last three meetings by a combined 10-1 aggregate result.
- Four of Bournemouth’s current players (Steve Cook, Charlie Daniels, Simon Francis and Callum Wilson) have featured in their last two meetings with Fulham, who fielded two different starting elevens on both occasions.
- Nathan Ake has made the most clearances this season, clearing 219 balls away from goal.
- Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic has committed the second joint most fouls this season, manging to produce 54 fouls alongside Crystal Palace’s James McArthur.
Prediction
Both teams produced brilliant performances last weekend but for Fulham, this will be a stern test of if their defending has finally turned a corner.
I am therefore expecting a fun game here with nothing riding on this for either team so a draw is tempting but Fulham’s poor away form might just cost them here if aren’t careful.
Prediction: Bournemouth 2-1 Fulham
Jake predicts: Bournemouth 2-0 Fulham
Result: Bournemouth 0-1 Fulham
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