Cherries target of first away win 2017

While the Cherries have had some relative success away from home in getting draws at places such as Man Utd and Liverpool, it has not been the glorious sight of three points that we have seen yet in 2017 in an away match. Eddie Howe certainly won't want that wait to extend to next season, so he needs to get the Cherries in sharp form for the remaining away games, and Sunderland is undoubtedly the best chance of getting a win.

Then again we have seen AFCB struggle at times against the bottom teams away from home. It has been a source of headaches for Eddie Howe and it must be maddening for him that he has not yet managed to come across a selection that has worked more beneficially. Two up front is how he has headed into most of these games and with Afobe and King both scoring regularly it is strange that the away form has been patchy. We have to go back to defeat against Hull City to see that the teams at the foot of the table are willing to risk everything to win games now. AFCB were up 0-1 in just a few minutes in that game, but they fell back into protection mode and were blown away by the Tigers energy and desire. It was not the formation but the defence as a whole that was not functioning well.

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Now Eddie has his regular defenders back and although Francis and Steve Cook played against the league leaders and Spurs, the two have not been on the pitch together when the Cherries faced Hull City, WBA or Everton. Whether the two central defenders can continue their recent run of clean sheets is probably the big question with Jermain Defoe lining up against them. It was Victor Anichebe hat was the problem at Dean Court though and Cook and Francis could not stop him on that day. They have to find a way of halting Sunderland's number 28 this time around.