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This is real chance to notch our first win of the season, but as we know all too well there are no easy games in this league. Last Sunday saw our best performance of the season and we can take real heart from that. But AFC Bournemouth finished top in a very difficult league last year and will be no push over. We are still struggling for fitness in many areas, something that will leave us vulnerable going into the second half and our fullbacks are still leaving far too much space behind them. This game could be an entertaining thriller, packed with goals and could go either way. Dick Advocaat has reiterated that we must give the lads time. If we don't take three points it's important we back our Head Coaches sentiments, remain positive and get behind the lads going into a difficult cup tie with the very dangerous Manchester City and a very tough away league encounter at Manchester United.
John O'Shea will be looking forward to his return to his former club. The Black Cats skipper, then just 18 years old, joined The Cherries back in 2000 in a move he believes was pivotal to his success. He followed that move with a loan move to Belgium outfit Royal Antwerp before forcing his way into the United first team squad.
Jermain Defoe will also face his former club this weekend and like O'Shea will look back on his time there with similar sentiments. Also in the year 2000, Jermain scored an impressive 18 goals in 29 appearance at just 18 years old. A goal would be the icing on the cake, so long as it doesn't end with the Cherries on top.
Match Appointments
Referee: Kevin Friend
Assistants: E Smart & M Wilkes
Fourth Official: D Deadman
AFC BournemouthTeam News
Bournemouth could be without Max Gradel, Harry Arter and Tyron Mings.
Sunderland Team News
Duncan Watmore misses out through illness and is replaced in the match day squad by the returning Adam Johnson. Steven Fletcher is fit and new signing DeAndre Yedlin could make his Sunderland debut but may have to wait until the League Cup clash with Manchester City.
Last 6 League Meetings
17 March 1990
AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Sunderland
07 November 1989 (LC)
AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Sunderland
24 October 1989 (LC)
Sunderland 1-1 AFC Bournemouth
07 October 1989
Sunderland 3-2 AFC Bournemouth
21 January 1989
AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Sunderland
27 August 1988
Sunderland 1-1 AFC Bournemouth
Form
Bournemouth
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Sat 12 Sep
Norwich 3-1 Bournemouth
Sat 29 Aug
Bournemouth 1-1 Leicester
Sat 22 Aug
West Ham 3-4 Bournemouth
Mon 17 Aug
Liverpool 1-0 Bournemouth
Sat 8 Aug
Sunderland
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Sun 13 Sep
Sunderland 0-1 Tottenham
Sat 29 Aug
Sat 22 Aug
Sunderland 1-1 Swansea
Sat 15 Aug
Sunderland 1-3 Norwich
Sat 8 Aug
Leicester 4-2 Sunderland
Spotlight
YANN M'VILA
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Yann is certainly the man at the moment on Wearside, despite lacking fitness he's slotted in effortlessly with silky composed passing. But know we're beginning to see his defensive prowess as he approaches full fitness. But he's still not quite there yet as he ran out of steam in the last half hour against spurs. His stats against them show he has the ability to dominate the midfield with much more than his distribution.
Last Corresponding Fixture
AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Sunderland
Marco Gabbiadini grabbed the only goal the last time the two teams met back in 1990
It was a season that saw derby success and pitch invasions in the play offs semi finals. Despite defeat in the final, Sunderland were still promoted after Swindon Town broke league rules and denied promotion.
A Word On Bournemouth
Many thanks and a fantastic welcome to Steve, the sole contributor to Tales from a South Stand.
Five games in to our first ever season in the Premier League and satisfied is how we at The South End would describe our progress. Naive (Aston Villa), robbed (Liverpool), outstanding (West Ham), disappointed (Leicester) and poor (Norwich) is how we would portray each of these five matches.Before the season started we would have been happy with 6 points at this stage, but 4 isn’t so bad. Will things get better? AFC Bournemouth fans will always have a strong belief in Eddie Howe (why wouldn’t we). But what we do need is a strong strike partner for Callum Wilson. Glenn Murray was a great acquisition with Premier pedigree and experience. All we need to do now is stop giving away silly goals. Then the points will come, starting this Saturday.
Opta Facts & Stats
Head-to-head
- This is the first top-flight meeting between these two sides, who last met in the old Second Division in 1990.
- Bournemouth are yet to beat Sunderland after six attempts in all competitions.
- Sunderland have won all three of their previous away games against Bournemouth by a 1-0 scoreline.
Bournemouth
- The Cherries are looking for their first top-flight home win (D1, L1).
- Two-thirds of their goals so far have come in one of their five matches: the 4-3 win over West Ham.
- Bournemouth have conceded a league-high five goals from set-pieces this season.
Sunderland
- Sunderland are winless in the league this season (D2, L3) and are also yet to keep a clean sheet, conceding an average of 2.2 goals per game.
- They could remain winless in their opening six Premier League matches for the third consecutive season, and fourth time in total.
- The Black Cats have gone eight games without a victory in the Premier League (D4, L4), which is the longest current run in the competition.
- Jermain Defoe, who spent time on loan at Bournemouth in 2000-01, is aiming to become only the fifth player to score against 35 different teams in the Premier League.