AFCB missed their big opportunity against Palace

Eddie Howe had to reflect on a very poor performance from the Cherries against Crystal Palace. There was nothing that gave fans any hope that the Cherries are up for the challenge of staying up, and the team have lost a key player in Josh King. Looking forward all Howe could say is that the league is still tight and the team has eight games left instead of nine.

That losing feeling just isn't fading for AFCB.

The match was hyped up a lot by the BBC as their first match on TV of a Premier League game and the build up could have been too much for Bournemouth's players who were flat, and simply didn't play anywhere near to the standards that they would have hoped for. The early goal was a massive blow from which Eddie Howe felt the team never recovered. Confidence was shot and the team just didn't see a way of taking the game to a well organised Crystal Palace.

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Bournemouth have to put the defeat immediately behind them. There is no time to dwell on a lacklustre performance because Wolves are waiting on Wednesday night and they are in fantastic form, pushing for Europe. The chilling thought for Bournemouth fans is that there was no sign of much creativity in front of goal, and no solidity to the defence at right back or left back. Howe will surely make changes and the glimmer of sparkle from David Brooks and Arnaut Danjuma is really all fans had to grasp hold of against Palace.

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The match against Crystal Palace was a missed opportunity to escape the bottom three. That looks harder now with a bigger goal difference and Brighton are looking almost safe. All the pressure is on the Cherries as they look to stay in contact with Watford, who picked up another point, and West Ham just above Bournemouth. In a weekend when West Ham, Aston Villa, Norwich and Watford failed to win, Bournemouth lost their nerve. There can't be many more opportunities like this with the fixtures AFCB have left. I think the players knew that to after the game, so it was no surprise that heads were down.

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