Tottenham vs. Bournemouth: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info, Ticket News
Tottenham Hotspur's 5-1 win over Bournemouth at the end of October was essentially the culmination of both teams' Act I for 2015-16.
The result gave the gathering momentum of Mauricio Pochettino's young team a significant boost, with a Harry Kane hat-trick also igniting the star striker's season after earlier scoring struggles. For Eddie Howe's promoted Championship winners, it was their second consecutive loss by that scoreline. The preceding weekend's defeat at Manchester City added up for a startling top-flight-life reality check.
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The two teams meet again on Sunday in the midst of—or, depending how you prefer to structure things, about to commence—the final acts of seasons that have gone from strength to strength since.
Bournemouth sit in 13th place, a healthy-looking 13 points clear of the relegation zone after three wins in a row.
Although Howe views Sunday's trip to White Hart Lane as an opportunity to "see how far we've come and improved over the season," he is urging caution in their attempts to secure their Premier League status.
"There is no feeling inside the camp that we are safe," the Cherries boss said, per his club's official website. "There won’t be until it’s mathematical, and even then the work ethic doesn’t change: we’ll still want to win games."
A win on Sunday is even more vital for second-place Tottenham after the results on Saturday—Leicester City stretched their advantage to eight points, and Arsenal closed the gap below back to three.
"I think now we have eight games to play in the Premier League and we need to try to win every game," Coach Pochettino said after Thursday's UEFA Europa League loss to Borussia Dortmund. "We need to start Sunday. We are in a position that we can fight for everything and we need to try."
Date: Sunday, March 20
Time: 4 p.m. GMT/12 p.m. ET
Venue: White Hart Lane, London
TV Info: No live UK broadcast, highlights from 10 p.m. on Sky Sports 1/Premier League Extra Time.
Live Stream: No UK stream/NBC Sports Live Extra.
Ticket Information: Sold out.
Form Lines
| Tottenham Hotspur | Bournemouth |
| Europa League, March 17: Borussia Dortmund (H)—Loss: 1-2 | Premier League, March 12: Swansea City (H)—Win: 3-2 |
| Premier League, March 13: Aston Villa (A)—Win: 0-2 | Premier League, March 5: Newcastle United (A)—Win: 1-3 |
| Europa League, March 2: Borussia Dortmund (A)—Loss: 3-0 | Premier League, March 1: Southampton (H)—Win: 2-0 |
| Premier League, March 5: Arsenal (H)—Draw: 2-2 | Premier League, February 27: Watford (A)—Draw: 0-0 |
| Premier League, March 2: West Ham United (A)—Loss: 1-0 | FA Cup, February 20: Everton (H)—Loss: 0-2 |
Team News
Mousa Dembele and Christian Eriksen are in contention for Tottenham after missing out midweek.
Nabil Bentaleb has joined Clinton Njie and Jan Vertonghen on the sidelines after getting injured in an under-21 game against Leicester, per the club website.
Junior Stanislas is out for Bournemouth. BBC Sport has midfielder Harry Arter as a doubt.
Predicted Lineups
Tottenham could well field the same lineup that started last week's 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Danny Rose and Kyle Walker should return either side of Toby Alderweireld and Kevin Wimmer after Pochettino rotated his full-backs against Borussia Dortmund (though Rose ended up playing the majority of the contest after Davies' injury). Hugo Lloris, as ever in league play when fit, will be in goal.
If indeed fit enough, Dembele and Eriksen will be back in midfield. Eric Dier will join the former centrally, the latter as part of an attacking trio that will feature Dele Alli and possibly Erik Lamela.
Up front will be Kane, the striker looking to make it 20 goals for the season in the Premier League.
Howe may also select the same Bournemouth starting XI for the third game in a row.
In goal, Artur Boruc's usual back four should protect him—wide pair and former Tottenham men Adam Smith and Charlie Daniels will accompany Simon Francis and Steve Cook at centre-back.
A start on Sunday may be too soon for the recovering Arter. In which case, Dan Gosling and Andrew Surman will continue, flanked on either side by Matt Ritchie and Max Gradel.
January signing Benik Afobe will lead the line, with support from Joshua King.
Tottenham Hotspur Player to Watch: Danny Rose
After a busier week than expected for Rose concludes with Sunday’s game, the usual mini-rest he might have been afforded during the following international break will not be waiting.
Called up for England’s friendlies with Germany and the Netherlands, the left-back has a chance to earn a place in his country’s European Championship squad.
It has added an extra incentive for a player whose performances helping Tottenham to their lofty league position have already been of a high standard. That is something Roy Hodgson has obviously noted when including the 25-year-old in his latest group.
One of Rose’s few slip-ups this season came in Spurs’ previous meeting with Bournemouth. Misjudging a Daniels cross, the ball bounced past him to a free Ritchie, who proceeded to give the Cherries the lead.
Rose can prove he deserves his call-up and boost Spurs’ chances of securing a big three points by shutting down the influential Scotsman—not to mention get forward down his left flank with his usual eagerness.
Bournemouth Player to Watch: Benik Afobe
Afobe is one of the notable differences to the Bournemouth team that Tottenham thrashed last autumn.
The January transfer window signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers has scored four times for his new club. His forward instincts and intelligence already make him a good foil and target point for team-mates like King and Ritchie to work with.
Though Afobe did not net in last week’s 3-2 win over Swansea City, it was his diagonal run that created the space for Gradel to play in King for Bournemouth’s second. It has not taken him long to figure out ways besides scoring to provoke and unsettle Premier League defences.
Spurs will be smart to keep tabs on the 23-year-old at all times if they are to avoid being punished.
A former Arsenal player, Afobe will relish looking to inflict damage on Spurs’ title chances. In the process, he will help lead his new club further away from the relegation zone.
Key Battle: Making the Most of Wide Areas
Heading into October’s meeting, there was evidence to suggest the wide areas would be where the game would be won and lost—certainly from the Bournemouth side of things.
Daniels’ crossing and, on that occasion, Francis’ penetrative forward runs had caused Bournemouth’s previous opponents, Manchester City, numerous problems. But they also repeatedly hit Howe’s team on the flanks on the way to conceding five.
Against Tottenham, they opened the scoring from a cross within a minute. Thereafter, however, they were unable to stop the away side from making inroads down the wings and suffered a costly blow when an unchallenged Kane centre led to Lamela making it 3-1.
Both these sides of Bournemouth have been seen again since, including in their win over Swansea last time out.
A Smith cross led to Gradel’s opener, and a Ritchie cross teed up Cook’s winning header following a short corner. But in between times, they allowed Swansea back into the contest via two goals from the same areas.
In fairness, a stepover-deceiving Daniels any defender would have struggled to resist created Modou Barrow’s equaliser. The time granted the Swans for their second leveller did not speak well for Bournemouth’s desire to keep them out.
Tottenham will look to get at them via their full-backs, while the likes of Alli and Kane are also liable to pop up in either side of the penalty area. Can the visitors stop them and also utilise their own width down the other end?
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Tottenham win: 100-167
Bournemouth win: 17-4
Draw: 3-1
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
