Ricthie's last minute robbery at Dean Court 2-2

Match Report

AFCB 2 v 2 Newcastle Utd

16 March 2019

Attendance: 10,625

AFCB and Newcastle set up another belter.

Don't you just love old players returning to play against your club! Matt Ricthie's name was belted out at Dean Court game after game a few years ago and we loved him. We always knew he was quality and it was a shame for the Cherries that he saved one of his few goals of the season to snatch two points off of AFCB right at the death of this game with a spectacular finish. Solomon Rondon had given Newcastle the lead right on half-time with a thunderous free-kick and Nathan Aké's tumble in the box enabled Josh King to square things up moments after half-time from the spot. Bournemouth then really started to get on top of Newcastle and the weather and Dominic Solanke produced a bit of magic to find King running on to the ball to make it 2-1 on 81 minutes. The game looked won and Boruc had been a spectator, but the finish from Ritchie just at the end of injury time was a bullet of a hit. I'm still scratching my head how we left with only a point.

Bournemouth dropped Andrew Surman and Adam Smith from the starting line up and inn came Nathaniel Clyne and Joran Ibe.

Pre-kick off huddle

An early mistake by Lerma saw Peréz get a pass on to Rondón who had to be shielded from goal by Aké. Boruc had to then make a save from Hayden on 2 minutes, down to his left.

Bournemouth's first attack was made by Ibe who's cross was caught by Dubrravka.  Diame's ball over the top almost got Rondón in but Mepham kept him out before Boruc came to claim the ball.

Peréz was booked for fouling Fraser and the wee-man got quite a battering early on in this game. Fraser then went close with a shot that came off the far post.

Daniels was getting the tackles in and put in crushing one on Yedlin. Diame then saw his shot deflected for a corner.

Fraser and Ibe linked up on 15 minutes before Ibe lost the ball and Peréz forced a save from Boruc. Lerma was booked around the centre circle for a late tackle.

Fraser was receiving attention again on 23 minutes before Mepham had trouble misdirecting a header in his own box. He made up for it moments later with a strong tackle on Almirón.

Ryan Fraser was starting to run at Newcastle's defence and Wilson took it on but shot over on 41 minutes.

The game then took a backward step for the Cherries when Ibe, running back from a Bournemouth corner, fouled Almirón and was booked. Rondón took the free kick and put it over the five-man wall and right in the top left corner to give Newcastle a 0-1 lead at half-time.

Second half
Ryan Fraser won a corner at the start of the second half after a strong run from Ibe. Aké went up for a header but was bundled over by Fernande's arm around his neck and a penalty was awarded. Josh King slipped the ball past Dubravka to make it 1-1.

Bournemouth poured forward with their confidence up and Mepham went close with a header that dropped inches wide of the left post.

Newcastle broke and a shot from Hayden outside the box went wide. Newcastle kept up the pressure with a corner an a shot from Rondón was blocked. Dummett then skied a long range shot following another corner.

Wilson found himself blocked off by Lejeune. Lerma was getting forward and headed wide just before the hour. He then had another try with a shot following a corner that went just wide of the left post on 65 minutes.

Wilson came even closer following a Fraser corner that the keeper punched. Clyne chipped the ball up and Wilson headed it back towards goal. Somehow Dummett managed to put a foot out and clear it, just as it was about the cross the goal line.

Peréz was subbed on 72 minutes and Atsu came on. Bournemouth took off Ibe and replaced him with Solanke on 75 minutes. Hayden was then booked.

Solanke got tackled by Dummett before King won a corner, but Lerma shot wide with a dipping effort narrowly going past the post.

Bournemouth hadn't created much up to this point but King darted forward and Solanke took over from Wilson's touch and took the ball into the box where he managed to keep hold of it, before releasing it to the oncoming King who stroked it beautifully onto the net -2-1 on 81 minutes.

Newcastle subbed Almirón and put on Muto. Daniels then got booked and Shelvey replaced Diamé.

There was a big Benike Afobe cry as Ritchie messed up a free kick. Daniels then went close with a powerful shot that rose over the bar.

Boruc was quick to come out and head the ball away after a poor goal kick as we entered 90 minutes. Three minutes were to be added.

Some four minutes into added time, Yedlin crossed form the right and the ball went all the way over to the left side of the box where Ritchie hit his sensational volley past Boruc to make it 2-2.

A rare draw at Dean Court.

Summary

It might have felt like a defeat but Bournemouth did as much as they could against a Newcastle side that never gave up. The conditions didn't help either team play great football. Newcastle's goals were both sensational and so Bournemouth shouldn't be too hard on themselves for only picking up a draw. It was good to see Solanke do well when he came on and Bournemouth have been cutting out individual errors at the back. There is work to do in midfield in keeping the ball better and in creating chances, but a point is another point earned.

AFCB Line up

AFCB Subs: Begovic, Rico, Simpson, Taylor, Surridge, Mousset, Solanke

AFCB ratings

Boruc 6, Clyne 5, Mephan 5, Aké 6, Daniels 7, Ibe 6, Lerma 7, Brooks 6, Fraser 7, King 8, Wilson 7 

Cherry Chimes MoM: Josh King

Ref Watch - Mike Dean: 5/10. I was not as incensed as some about Mike Dean. He rarely has a great game a Dean Court and I was pleased he at least gave AFCB a penalty even if the foul for Newcastle's first goal was rather soft.

Newcastle Utd

12Dubravka, 22Yedlin, 20Lejeune, 18Fernandez, 3Dummett, 11Ritchie, 17Pérez (Atsu),
10Diamé (Shelvey), 14Hayden, 24Almirón (Muto), 9Rondón

Newcastle Subs
26Darlow, 2Clark, 8Shelvey, 13Muto, 15Kenedy, 19Manquillo, 30Atsu

Cherry Chimes' T-Shirt winner  @jimellis123

Newcastle are right on AFCB's heels

It won't have escaped too many AFCB fans' attention that a defeat against Newcastle this weekend would see the Magpies overtake Bournemouth in the table. So, it is a massive game for both teams who want a top half finish.

Team spirit needs to be high now.

Rafa Benitiz has done exceptionally well after the slow start Newcastle made to the season. Now they are finding some form and on the road, since the New Year have draw with Wolves and had a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Spurs and 2-1 at Chelsea, while their home form has been very solid having got a 2-1 over Man City and a sensational 3-2 comeback last weekend against Everton.

I am not sure if the Everton game makes it a good time to play Newcastle or not. They will believe they can win from any position and AFCB have to be careful, even if they get a lead against Newcastle. Newcastle may have only scored 29 goals, averaging just under one a game, but they have managed nine clean sheets.

While AFCB fans will welcome back Matt Ritchie, he has had a pretty lean season by his own standards scoring just the one goal and making four assists. The man AFCB certainly have to deal better with than they did at St James' Park is Solomón Rondón. Rondón has eight goals and five assists and he's working up a very good partnership with Ayoze Perez who has six Premier League goals.

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This will be a close game with perhaps only a goal either way deciding the outcome if the stats are worth following. AFCB have to make the most of their home games and this one could push them back into the top 10, which would change the mood around Dean Court.

Possible AFCB line up

AFCB subs: Begovic, Simpson, Rico, Ibe, Solanke, Mousset, Surridge

Taking points off lower teams is no certainty

Bournemouth have a good run of games now with only Leicester and Spurs in the top half to play. But does this mean that points will be easy to pick up against the lower half teams? I don't see it that way, as there is still a big scrap for teams not to join Huddersfield and Fulham who now look destined for the drop.

Bournemouth have a good record against many of the bottom half clubs.

Just look at the way Southampton have turned over Tottenham and Cardiff stuck two goals past West Ham without reply, and Newcastle were 0-2 against Everton last weekend, before coming back for a 3-2 win. The teams down there are really giving it their all now and these are not easy games to win.

Bournemouth probably just need one more win to feel they are safe from relegation fears, but if they want to challenge their best every points score they need to get to the 40-point mark as soon as possible. Playing the teams who could finish below and in and around the Cherries is ultimately going to decide where Bournemouth finish.

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A few weeks ago, Newcastle were down near the bottom of the table but they have been revitalised and have really kicked on in 2019, and are finding it much easier to pick up points. So, Bournemouth will need to defend well against Rondón and company to hold off Newcastle. They didn't manage that earlier in the season, so the next game will be a test to see if Bournemouth have found a way to defend better against this attack.

Bournemouth are getting out fought in their own box

It is apparent that Bournemouth can defend very well at times and have managed a number of clean sheets already this season. However, in the games against Man United and Newcastle we have seen an inability to win challenges when the ball is pumped into their box. It is almost as if a panic sets in and the defenders fail to find a way of clearing the ball when opposition players are hoping for the ball to fall to them.

Begovic isn't always getting the protection he needs.

Against Newcastle United, the defenders didn't have much of a chance to get to Rondón. But they didn't anticipate that the ball was going to him with the cross for the first goal, and when Begovic pushed the ball back to the striker it was harder for him to miss than to score.

There is a lack of decisiveness in and around the penalty box at times when Bournemouth just need to take no risks and get the ball away. The reaction to danger seems a little slow at times and it is strange because on days when the team get clean sheets you don't see them dither at all.

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Eddie Howe may well be more annoyed that crosses are coming in too frequently. There is a bit of a problem in closing players down when out wide. As good as Bournemouth's attacking play has been, it is noticeable that they have shipped four goals in the last two games and they were goals that all came from crosses.

Let's hope we see a bit more fight to stop the crosses and clear the box in the next match. It's no longer set pieces that tend to trip AFCB up, but preventing crosses.

Adam Smith will want to forget his 200th AFCB appearance

Eddie Howe commented after the match against Newcastle that Adam Smith had hurt his knee in an earlier tackle with Matt Ritchie, before he pulled up half way through trying to take a free kick. It was a strange incident and Kris Temple at BBC Radio Solent was having trouble to work out why the injury had occurred with Adam going down as if hit by a 'sniper'.

Adam Smith is a huge player for AFCB because of his versatility.

Well, the long time it took to get Adam into the stretcher and off the pitch didn't do anything to help the Cherries performance which was already subdued after half an hour. The injury will have been on some of the players' minds, I'm sure, and Bournemouth had already travelled without King and Stanislas.  It did give Charlie Daniels a chance to reclaim his place at left back, but he was soon to find the wing-back position was where he would play as Howe desperately tried to find a way for AFCB to get into the game.

Adam won't have fond memories of the game. He was caught out for the first goal when the cross came from his side for Rondón to score after his second attempt. Still, Bournemouth should have done better in the box to deal with Rondón. The experiment to use Adam Smith at left back has probably seen its time up for now. I would rather see Adam on the right, but it looks like he will be out for months after this incident. He was to have a scan on Monday on his right knee.

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It might not seem such a big loss if Daniels had come on and played well, but Daniels saw many of his passes go rather wayward and with Diego Rico also not forcing his way into the squad, the left back position remains a weakness in my view at the moment.

I can only hope that Adam Smith has a speedy recovery. His versatility is fantastic. 

Why couldn't Cherries get up for Newcastle game?

Bournemouth had no trouble in starting well against Fulham away from home or Watford, but against Burnley and more recently Newcastle United they have been far from their best. It is hard to know exactly why? It is possible that the players were still stuck in the moment of having lost to Man Utd at home. After all it was a cruel last minute defeat. But Bournemouth didn't get their game on any kind of level near the attacking zeal they have shown this season against Newcastle.

Bournemouth lost their way at Newcastle.

Bournemouth were flat and did not get their passing going with any tempo. It was a kind of performance when they players looked in on themselves rather than expressing themselves and I think there is a mental preparation that needs to be addressed by Eddie Howe in how he sends the team out. In these games against opponents where AFCB are expected to do well, the Cherries find reasons to play without confidence and yet they are the same players. They have to find a way of taking their game with the same passion they do against the big sides to the lower sides in the league.

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I don't expect Bournemouth to have any problems in getting up for the games against Arsenal and Man City in coming weeks, but while Bournemouth have the game to compete against the best they have not found a way of being consistent. If teams near the bottom can roll Bournemouth over at times then more motivation has to be found to take these games more seriously.

You can't just turn up and expect to win in the Premier League. Bournemouth have to get fired up some way or another and I just wonder if playing Newcastle away just didn't get the Cherries truly fired up enough. Some credit has to be given to Newcastle as well as their wing play, and Rondón's power was too much for Bournemouth.

Rondon batters pale-performing Cherries 2-1

Match Report

Newcastle Utd v AFCB

10 November 2018

Attendance: 49,266

AFCB fall to their fourth defeat at St James' Park .

Newcastle made light of getting to Bournemouth's defence and Rondón had the Magpies ahead in just seven minutes. Bournemouth just didn't get going and things deteriorated when Adam Smith wast stretchered off after injuring himself when trying to take a free kick. When Rondón powered in a header for his and Newcastle's second, the game looked over. But Jefferson Lerma stooped to get his first Bournemouth goal from a Ryan Fraser corner into added time in the first half to make it 2-1. The Cherries improved second half with Gosling coming into the side and Ibe had a great chance to equalise which he wasted. Despite the late pressure, Newcastle were strong enough to hold out. Bournemouth had been undone by a powerful forward and to be fair Rondón would have had a hat-trick but for Asmir Begovic.

BBC Radio Solent commentator Kris Temple alluded to the fact that Josh King and Junior Stanislas were not seen on the pitch some 30 minutes before the team was announced. Indeed, there was one change Junior Stanislas had a groin strain and did not travel. David Brooks would play in the number 10 position behind Wilson and Jordan Ibe got his first Premier League start of the season.  Marc Pugh was also finally given a spot on the bench.

No Shelvey, Muto or Lascelles for Newcastle United! Rafa was pinning his hopes on Matt Ritchie and Solomon Rondón.

Match Description

AFCB looked great in spearmint green despite the false kick-off that had to be retaken. Bournemouth began well with Brooks and Wilson running down the middle, but Ibe's shot was blocked in the second minute. Wilson gives away a free kick.

Rondón has a shot from distance but it's easy for Begovic to catch.  Bournemouth happy to play it along the back line. Adam Smith wins a free kick of Diamé.

Ritchie down the left a cross from the right Rondón shoots, Begovic parries but Rondón has put the second attempt in – it's 1-0 to Newcastle on seven minutes!

David Brooks is kicked by Fernandez and holds his ankle. Lee Probert is not interested! Newcastle have a free kick and it comes off Adam Smith for a corner to Newcastle. Schär heads it on and it is cleared by Bournemouth.

Bournemouth re not flowing at all yet. They look paler than their shirts! Francis' header comes out to Richie who has a shot from the bouncing ball, but it's well wide of the right post.

Lerma to Fraser and the cross comes to Ibe who has a shot blocked on 16 minutes. Diamé pushes Brooks over but no foul given. Francis makes a good ball up to Wilson and Bournemouth have a corner on 17 minutes. It's out for a long throw.

Aké's head and Rondón clears. Lewis Cook hits a shot and it's deflected for a corner. Fraser's shot is blocked. Francis and Brooks run into each other!

Adam Smith takes on Ritchie but loses out. Now Diamé has fouled Fraser. Fraser shoots and Dubravka gets a hand to it to keep it out on 22 minutes.

Adam Smith has gone down injured. He's hurt himself. It's a stretcher. He's hurt his right knee by not going to take the free kick and then stopping half way through. Charlie Daniels is coming on after a seven minute stoppage.

Lerma's on the ball. Francis now but his cross only finds a Newcastle player. Lewis Cook then puts it our for a goal kick. Jordan Ibe hits a ball too strongly for Fraser.

Diamé catches Brooks again. Free Kick some 35 yards out. The flag goes up for offside against Lerma.

Diamé wins a free kick off of Jordan Ibe. It's been a retched first half from Bournemouth, 38 minutes gone. Ritchie to Kenedy, his ball from the left and Rondón has powered a header in to make it 2-0! Aké collapsed before Rondón beat him on the air, 40 minutes gone.

Daniels has conceded a corner now. Rondón's header hits Wilson's hand across his stomach. No penalty.

Francis to Fraser, but the Wee-man has overrun it. AFCB have gone three at the back. Franno, Steve Cook and Aké are okaying as a three. There are eight minutes of added time for this half. Brooks out to Ibe but he is tackled.

Rondo and Kenedy, Perez back to Kenedy and Begovic has to save! Newcastle free kick of Wilson's head is pushed over by Begovic! Corner to Newcastle. Dummett shoots over.

Schär trips Brooks and is yellow carded. Free kick to Bournemouth Steve Cook gets a head on it and Dubravka tips it over. Corner to Bournemouth. Lerma scores with a diving header! It's 2-1 on 45 minutes +6 minutes.

Perez is clear through but has put his shot wide of the left post! Newcastle break, but Francis puts in a big tackle on Kenedy. Lerma has given Bournemouth some hope but it was a poor first half from the Cherries and they've lost Adam Smith. Bournemouth have been out shot by Newcastle 14 to 10 shots and the Cherries have had three shots on target compared to Newcastle's four on target. But possession has been in Bournemouth's favour 54 per cent to 46 per cent.

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Second Half

Lerma has pulled a hamstring and Dan Gosling is on. Ibe has conceded a corner. It's another corner to Newcastle. Schär is injured now with a nose bleed.

Francis and Ibe, Lewis Cook gets crowded out. Bournemouth have a long throw. Fraser takes a throw. Wilson goes down. Lewis Cook with a loose pass. Begovic gets down well.

Daniels now and Fraser wins a corner on 53 minutes. Gosling and Steve Cook can't direct the header in target.Ritchie swings in a cross and Rondon heads wide between Aké and Steve Cook.

Bournemouth's passing is coming together and they have another corner. Gosling heads wide of the far post. Ibe does well to stop Kenedy defending in his own box - great tracking back.

Bournemouth break with Fraser and the grass-cutting shot is saved after deflecting to the keeper. Brooks doesn't find a team-mate. Ibe on the right, Wilson heads over from six yards, 60 minutes gone.

Newcastle have a free kick and Begovic claims it. Daniels and Brooks is blocked. Fraser wins a corner.  Ibe's lost it but Lewis Cook gets  foot in. Ritchie has a shot and it's just wide of the right post!

Lewis Cook gives a free kick away on half way. Gosling gets it away and Ritchie makes a foul. Another free kick to Bournemouth as Brooks is clipped. Brooks wins the ball, Fraser up the left but his cross is blocked, corner on 66 minutes.

Another Bournemouth corner but Newcastle break and Lewis Cook just did enough to stop the advancing Newcastle players. Daniels shanks his cross. Aké defends well against Yedlin.

Brooks chips out to Daniels Lewis Cook and Gosling to Ibe and Ibe has hit his shot over when he really should have hit the target! Hayden comes on for Ritchie on 74 minutes.

Daniels in the box but can't find a pass. A cross behind all AFCB's players. Lewis Cook gives the ball away with a short pass. Steve Cook makes a clearance. Fraser s away but can't find Brooks. 

Kieran Clark replaces Kenedy on 77 minutes. Bournemouth come forward. Daniels has hit a wayward pass. Atsu comes on for Diamé on 80 minutes.

Newcastle with Atsu cutting in on Aké and Begovic touches it away for a corner to Newcastle. Yedlin fires wide of the left post. Defoe is replacing Ibe on 82 minutes.

Rondón is fouled on half way.  Atsu's shot is high and wide. Fraser and Brooks, AFCB have a corner. Fraser doesn't beat the second man. Another Bournemouth corner. Brooks and Aké's knock on is saved by the keeper, it's in the net but given offside. Gosling's goal is ruled out.

Just four minutes of the 90 minutes to go. Francis makes a mistake and Rondón is away, but Begovic has saved with his trailing leg. Corner to Newcastle. Begovic catches.

Only four minutes of added time. Rondón goes down. Lewis Cook takes Rondón out and pushes his chest. Lewis Cook is booked and Rondón. Newcastle are running the clock down and that's it.

Summary

Bournemouth were flat in the first half and could not cope with Salomon Rondón. Against two bottom half sides now Bournemouth have tripped up in away games and while they had chances they were always chasing the game fro the seventh minute. It's back-to-back defeats for Bournemouth and the manager of the month award is certainly a curse for Eddie Howe's side. While the Cherries improved in the second half, they wasted some good opportunities, especially Ibe. The passing wasn't good enough today and Newcastle closed the game out well despite the pressure form Bournemouth. The injury to Lerma might not be too bad but Adam Smith could be out for a while.

AFCB Line up

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Daniels, Gosling, Surman, Pugh, Mousset, Defoe.

AFCB Ratings: Begovic 7, Francis 5, S Cook 5, Aké 5 (Daniels 4), A Smith 5, Ibe 4,
Lerma 6 (Gosling 45), L Cook 5, Fraser 6, Brooks 6, Wilson 5

Newcastle Utd
12 Dubravka, 22 Yedlin, 5 Schär, 18 Fernandez, 3 Dummett, 11 Ritchie (Hayden 74),
4 Ki Sung-yueng, 10 Diamé (Atsu 80), 15 Kenedy (Clark 77), 17 Pérez, 9 Rondón

Newcastle Subs: 2 Clark, 7 Murphy, 14 Hayden, 19 Manquillo, 21 Joselu, 26 Darlow, 30 Atsu

Ref Watch: Lee Probert - 5/10 possibly missed a penalty on David Brooks and Callum Wilson was maybe lucky to get away with a handball not that he could do much about it.

Cherry Chimes' MoM: Asmir Begovic

Going a goal down to WBA was a difficult time for AFCB

Watching Bournemouth play when they had just conceded against WBA after half time felt like just about the worst part of the season. I hate it when I don't feel the players are thriving in the atmosphere and to be fair there was a lot of gloom around the Vitality stadium, because the team just weren't functioning well at all against the bottom side in the league.

Bournemouth have an unwelcome habit of falling behind in games

Dan Gosling and Lewis Cook were not much of a factor as WBA were getting success from lumping balls over the top of them and Rodriguez and Rondón were superb at holding the ball up an bringing players like Livermore and Nyom into the game. Albion might not have been a team with a lot of confidence but they had the game in their pocket and watching Ben Foster take an age to make his goal kicks seems like a repeat performance of so many other AFCB games that have run out of steam as the pressure on the players mount.

I could not see how AFCB were going to turn the game around without the crowd picking up the noise level. The game needed a special moment before Albion sucked the life out of the game. I don't think WBA dragged AFCB down to their level. WBA were very effective at what they are good at and AFCB's little flicks and tricks just were not coming off.

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It needed someone to grab hold of the game and get the players pushing harder to test Ben Foster. It may not worry Howe too much that AFCB found it so difficult to get past the WBA press in the first half, because the Francis substitution disrupted AFCB's game, but he should question why Bournemouth could not get their game going. The late comebacks are terrific to watch, but AFCB don't want to be in that position in every game and it will be good to see if the break in Dubai will help them to regain some energy and purpose in their Premier League season, which still needs better consistency to ensure AFCB do get a top10 finish.

However, AFCB are almost safe and that is a good achievement with seven games to go.

AskFans - AFCB 2 v 1 WBA

Daily Mail Fans' Verdict - AFCB 2 v 1 WBA

Are WBA sunk?

I am more concerned with whether WBA have the capacity to take others down with them than whether they are already down. They are mathematically not down and out yet and while they have hope they will play as best they can to try and get the points they need, so I don't agree with many that say it's WBA - well that's three points this weekend.

WBA have already stunned AFCN once this season.

When there was great optimism, at the start of the season, it was WBA that took all three points at the Hawthorns. Bournemouth were beaten by an Ahmed Heghazi header and when you think that win is only one of three that the Baggies have had all season, it indicates that AFCB did not play well that day. Only Man City and Spurs have beaten Bournemouth twice this season, and it's imperative that there are no slip ups on Saturday.

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But WBA have very little to lose now. They could come out and play without much fear as everyone thinks they are down anyway and they may just look to ensure they give anyone in front of them a very physical game and try and take points off teams just to brig them down as well. Some of the payers will also be playing their best to try and be spotted by other clubs who will stay in the top flight.

There can be no dispute that WBA deserve to be in the relegation zone though. They have scored only 23 goals which is the lowest in the division and only Huddersfield and Stoke City have a worse goal difference, while WBA have lost the most games on 16.

So what kind of WBA will we see at Dean Court? Eddie Howe will say it won't matter as long as the Cherries play their game at the best of their ability, but he will have concerns over the power of Salomon Rondón and the striking ability of Jay Rodriguez and Hal Robson-Kanu. WBA have not got bad players, they just have not done the business often enough and are out of the habit of winning. That does not make them any easier to play though.

AFCB Home Form
DWWDL

WBA Away Form
LDLLL

In other news, Lewis Cook has made the England squad call up for the games against the Netherlands and Italy. 


Premier Talk - I'd be worried if I were a Saints fan

Has some of the threat from WBA been removed this summer?

Tony Pulis has seen his WBA lose some significant players this summer in the departures of Darren Flecther and Craig Gardener, but he'll have high hopes of making a top 10 finish. Much of the optimism comes with the new signing, Jay Rodriguez from Southampton for £15m but the Baggies have been fairly quite in the transfer window this summer.

Will AFCB do better on entering the gates at the Hawthorns this season? 

Rodriguez found himself being squeezed a little at Southampton with the strong squad of strikers at the club and he'll need to make his name quickly at West Brom. Rodriguez was hampered by injuries last season but did score twice against the Cherries  in Southampton's 1-3 win at Dean Court.  That day Aké and Steve Cook were the central defenders and they'll need to cope with Rodrigues better this time around.

The other big threat is likely to come from Salomón Rondón who had a purple patch in the middle of last season when he could do nothing wrong, and yet by the end of the season the goal really dried up for him and he ended up on eight league goals. When Bournemouth visited the Hawthorns in 2016, Rondón was sent off following a head butt on Dan Gosling, but his attitude is usually pretty good and he will put himself about.

Injuries could weaken WBA a little. In their end of July match against Bristol Rovers, Chris Brunt picked up a calf strain while James McClean had a knee injury. Gareth McAuley also has a thigh injury and James Morrison is out with a knee injury. Meanwhile, Chris Brunt, Johnny Evans and Nacer Chadli did not go in the Spanish trip to the Deportivo de La Couruña as they were nursing knocks. WBA will be boosted though by Tony Pulis signing an contract extension until 2019.

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While Tony Pulis has added the Egyptian Ahmed Heghazi on loan in defence, there is not much for the Baggies to get excited about yet and Pulis' attempts to bring in further defenders have not materialised yet. Without the shielding power of Fletcher they could also find their back line more exposed and AFCB will look to find the gaps in front of the centre backs and down the flanks to get the West Brom players turning.

With Asmir Begovic perhaps now favourite to start in goal for the Cherries, set-pieces may not be quite such a threat for WBA as they have been on previous occasions. But AFCB have to do the work of protecting their goal extremely well when they then come to places like the Hawthorns.

In the light of the pre-season performances this is my probable AFCB team to play WBA. It could be hard news for Marc Pugh and Connor Mahoney.

AFCB team: 4-4-1-1 Begovic (GK), Francis (RD), S Cook (CD), Aké (CD), Daniels (LD), Ibe (RM), Arter (CM), Surman (CM), Gradel (LM), King (FW), Afobe (FW)

Subs: Boruc (GK), A Smith (RD), Mings (CD), L Cook, (CM), Fraser (LM/RM), Mousset (FW), Defoe (FW)
In other news, AFCB's home match with Chelsea has been moved to a 5.30 kick off on Sat 28 Oct and will be shown on BT Sport.