WATCH FOR OUR THOUGHTS AHEAD OF BOURNEMOUTH V WOLVES
TEAM NEWS
Bournemouth full-back Julio Soler could be in the mix after returning from a month with Argentina’s under-20 team.
Defender James Hill is training again, while forward Evanilson is getting closer to full fitness following foot surgery in early January.
Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen is available after recovering from a muscle injury.
Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is fit to play, but Emmanuel Agbadou, Rodrigo Gomes, and Hwang Hee-chan are still sidelined.
VITOR PEREIRA
- Pereira feels his team did “good work” and are “ready for the game”, however he revealed Emmanuel Agbadou and Rodrigo Gomes will be unavailable due to injury.
The boss believes his side can “compete” against any team, adding: “The game before Liverpool was against Aston Villa and we played a consistent game in my opinion. Against Liverpool, my expectations were that we would play a strong match.”
He added: “In the beginning, the first half wasn’t how I wanted to play but the second half was very strong and the team gave me the confidence and the expectation that we are in the moment in the season where we can compete with every team in the Premier League.”
On Nelson Semedo: “Nelson is a very, very important player both on and off the pitch because he is someone who wants to help everybody and commit everybody to the club and our targets.”
Speaking about the prospect of facing in-form Bournemouth, Pereira added: “They have a good team and very good players with a very good coach. They are strong but to be honest, I’m looking for my team. It doesn’t matter if it’s Liverpool or another club, I respect everybody but if you want to increase your level you must look at yourselves to understand where we must put our energy to improve, and at this moment I want to see my team play with confidence.”
The Wolves boss praised the impact of the January signings: “I think that we must look for the good profiles. It’s not always about tactically and technically but the personality, too. They come with this spirit, and it helps the adaptation [to the team].”
On Marshall Munetsi: “I am not asking him to play as a striker, he’s a midfielder in my opinion, more of a box-to-box number eight.”
Offering more on the Zimbabwe international, Pereira said: “He’s physically strong, and runs a lot, but he’s a player who can bring us different things than other midfielders can. He’s here to help us.”
MATCH STATS & FACTS
Head-to-head
Bournemouth have won three of the last four Premier League meetings, losing the other, although those victories have come away from home.
Wolves are unbeaten in all four of their Premier League visits to Bournemouth, winning two and drawing two.
The Cherries are seeking to complete a league double over Wolves for the first time in the top flight, having done so in the third tier in 1985-86 and in the Championship in 2014-15.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League games, winning eight and drawing four.
However, that sole defeat was in their previous home outing against Liverpool.
They have not suffered consecutive league losses at the Vitality Stadium since October 2023, when they were beaten 4-0 by Arsenal before losing 2-1 to Wolves.
The Cherries have scored 14 goals in their past five Premier League fixtures, a run which includes a 2-0 loss to league leaders Liverpool.
They have mustered 403 shots in the Premier League this season, with 147 on target – both totals are the third highest in the competition, behind only Liverpool and Manchester City.
Dango Ouattara has been directly involved in nine goals in his past 11 Premier League games, scoring six and assisting three, as many as he had managed in his first 60 appearances in the competition.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves have lost three successive Premier League away games, their worst run on the road since they suffered four consecutive defeats between November and December 2023.
Wanderers have won just one of their last 28 away matches against sides starting the day in the top six (D3, L24), beating fourth-placed Spurs 2-1 in February 2024.
They have conceded 54 goals from an expected goals against of 41.6 in the Premier League this season, the biggest difference between xG against and goals conceded this term.
Matheus Cunha has scored three goals in his last three league and cup appearances.
The Brazilian has scored five Premier League goals from outside the box this season, more than any other player.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Michael Salisbury. Assistants: Wade Smith, Adrian Holmes. Fourth official: James Linnington. VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: Dan Cook.
MATCH INFO
This one is a 3pm kick off on Saturday 21st February at The Vitality Stadium.