Bournemouth host West Londoners Brentford in the Premier League, with both teams hoping for three points to help end the season on a high.
Date: 11/05/24
Kick-off time: 15:00
Venue: Vitality Stadium
It has been a very good season for Bournemouth, who are in a strong position to finish in the top half of the table. In recent weeks, they have been one of the form teams in the league, having won four and drawn two of their last nine. As a result, they have climbed to 10th, and are within touching distance of West Ham in ninth, who they trail on goal difference. However, they are just two and one points ahead of Wolves and Brighton, so victory is crucial in order to maintain their position.
In contrast, it has been a disappointing campaign for Brentford, who have spent most of it in the bottom part of the table. It was always slated to be a difficult season without their main man Ivan Toney for the most part, but they perhaps struggled more than expected. They now sit in 16th, and by picking up seven points from their last nine available they have ensured survival.
Both teams should be confident in scoring, as they are facing defences who have conceded 60 goals or more. In Bournemouth’s last five games, there have been over 2.5 goals in four of them. This has only been the case for Brentford in two of their last five, but they were involved in a 5-1 win and 3-3 draw. Each side is spearheaded by top strikers in Dominic Solanke and Toney, though the latter is scoreless in 10. Solanke has enjoyed a fantastic campaign, scoring 18 goals. Only four players have scored more in the league.
These two teams have met just three times in the Premier League, all coming since 2022. Bournemouth are winless in these games, with Brentford winning two. The reverse fixture earlier this season resulted in the points being shared, in a 2-2 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium. Mathias Jensen gave the hosts a very early lead, but this was cancelled out by Solanke on the half hour mark. Bournemouth completed the turnaround with a David Brooks strike, but there was late drama as Bryan Mbeumo levelled it in stoppage time.