Burnley - Bournemouth predictions and free betting tips [03/03/2024]

On Sunday, 3rd February, within the frame of the 27th tour of the Premier League, Burnley will take on Bournemouth on their home field. Last weekend, Vincent Kompany's charges suffered a defeat against Crystal Palace, with a score of 3:0. In the middle of the week, the 'Cherries' were knocked out of the 1/8 final of the FA Cup by Leicester after extra time

Burnley

Burnley's return to the top flight has thus far been disastrous, and the club has been fighting for survival since the very beginning of the campaign. Currently, the team is in 19th place in the Premier League, a worrying 9 points adrift from safety. What's more, the Clarets have failed to win any of their last 8 league matches (2 draws and 6 defeats), suffering 3 consecutive defeats against Liverpool (3:1), Arsenal (0:5), and Crystal Palace (3:0). After Josh Brownhill's dismissal in the first half, Kompany's team held on for over an hour, but eventually succumbed to an 11-minute blitz from the Eagles, with Chris Richards, Jordan Ayew, and Jean-Philippe Mateta all finding the back of the net. Of great concern to Burnley's fans is that their team has managed to secure a mere five points this season at Turf Moor, the worst home record in the division.

Following their exit from the 1/8 FA Cup final, the team's attention is solely on securing their Premier League status. Critical midfielders Ramsey and Foster (4 goals) as well as promising winger Coleošo (1 goal and 1 assist) and winger Redmond remain absent from Burnley's lineup. This is compounded by uncertainty over the participation of key defender Bayer, who was close to returning last week, and Brownhill's suspension. Striker Datro Fofana (2 goals and 1 assist in the last 5 tours), who joined this winter following an unsuccessful spell at Union Berlin in the first half of the season, could once again start alongside Swiss international Amduni (4 goals). Josh Cullen is expected to replace Jack Cork, but it's unlikely that Kompany will make any further changes.

Bournemouth

Currently, Bournemouth occupies only the 14th position in the Premier League table, sitting a concerning 8 points above the drop zone. In recent weeks, the Cherries have been struggling, as evident by their current run of 7 games without a win (3 draws and 4 defeats). In their last two matches, the visitors put in decent performances, claiming a point against Newcastle (2:2) and narrowly losing out to Manchester City (0:1). Last week, Bournemouth were surprisingly knocked out of the 1/8 FA Cup final by Leicester (0:1 after extra time) due to a goal from Abdul-Fatawu. Notably, Iraola's men are currently 12th in the away standings - from 13 away games, they've collected 15 points, scored 21 goals, conceded 29, and have without exception conceded in their last six encounters on the road. 

The next two rounds present a fantastic opportunity for the red and black side, as fixtures against Sheffield and Luton could finally put to bed relegation concerns. Key defensive players for Bournemouth, such as Kelly, Aarons, and Hill, as well as experienced individuals like Adams and Fredericks, remain out of commission. In contrast, Danish midfielder Billing is back following suspension. Striker Dominic Solanke (14 goals and 3 assists), who did not feature against Leicester in the cup, is likely to feature; he'll be supported by winger Semenyo (4 goals). Enes Unal (14 goals in La Liga last season), who joined from Getafe this winter, could bolster the attack coming off the bench in the second half.

Head to Head

Owing to a victory over Burnley at the Vitality Stadium last October, the Cherries can make history by completing a league double over the Clarets for the first time.

Match prediction: Burnley - Bournemouth

In the cup clash against Leicester, Bournemouth failed to create many dangerous chances against the Foxes, but the potential return of Solanke should give the Cherries a boost in attack. Burnley are struggling mightily, failing to taste success since late December. I am at a loss as to how Kompany's side could best the Cherries - I'm backing an away victory.