This Sunday, Bournemouth will face off against Crystal Palace at Vitality Stadium, both clubs aiming for European competition next season.
The match marks the continuation of the Andoni Iraola farewell party for the Cherries, who are on the verge of extending their unbeaten streak to 15 Premier League matches—currently the longest in the top flight.
With their sights set on a possible European debut next season, they’re in a strong position. Historically, only two teams—Wimbledon in the 1996-97 season and Chelsea in 2015-16—have managed a 14-plus game unbeaten run and still finished outside the top six.
While Bournemouth fans have reason to celebrate, there may be some frustration over their recent tendency to draw matches, recording seven ties in their last ten league outings—with the most recent five at home all the same.
Expectations are high for the Cherries to maintain their unbeaten record against Palace, who may be distracted by their upcoming Conference League semi-final. Palace hasn’t won any of their previous five Premier League clashes against Bournemouth, with two losses and three draws.
[BBC]
Alongside Iraola, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner will also depart at the season’s end. Iraola hopes to leave the Cherries with their first European appearance, while Glasner aims to secure a major continental trophy for Palace.
Palace’s matchup with Bournemouth comes in between their two Conference League semi-final matches against Shakhtar Donetsk. They’re buoyed by a recent 3-1 victory away, marking a much-needed turn after a string of defeats, the latest being a Liverpool loss, where their performance saw them outshoot their rival but still come away empty-handed.
Despite their struggles on the road recently, having lost seven of 13 away matches in the Premier League under Glasner, they have usually managed to defend well at Bournemouth, keeping five clean sheets in eight league visits.
Nonetheless, the recent head-to-head stats point in favour of the Cherries, as Palace seeks to break their winless streak against Bournemouth.