MY ACCOUNT
– Bournemouth have won five of their last eight Premier League games
– Leeds have dropped 20 points from winning positions this season
– Recommended Bet: Back Bournemouth to Win from Behind
Leeds’ trip to the Vitality Stadium to face survival rivals Bournemouth on Sunday is turning into a must-win match for the club.
The wobbling Whites were three points better off than the Cherries after their 4-3 Bonfire Night victory at Elland Road earlier this season.
But Javi Gracia’s men are now six points behind Gary O’Neil’s outfit, who some view as being virtually safe following their midweek win over rock-bottom Southampton.
Leeds fans were furious when their side surrendered the lead against Leicester on Tuesday and have slammed Gracia’s team selections, particularly the exclusion of Wilfried Gnonto, in the wake of that 1-1 home draw.
Team news
O’Neil hopes winger Marcus Tavernier, who felt a hamstring after scoring their winner at St Mary’s on Thursday, has not sustained a serious problem.
But he looks unlikely to be fit enough to start on Sunday given the short turnaround and looks likely to be replaced by Adam Smith.
O’Neil has settled on a 3-4-3 formation in recent games with Matias Vina preferred on the left, but both he and Marcos Senesi struggled with cramp against the Saints.
Jack Stephens could return to the heart of Bournemouth’s defence after being ineligible to face his parent club on Thursday, but Ryan Fredericks (calf), Junior Stanislas (knock) and Hamed Traore (foot) are presumed to be out.
As for Leeds, Gnonto could be in line for a recall after it emerged that Luis Sinisterra will miss the rest of the campaign with an ankle injury.
Crysensio Summerville, however, was Gracia’s preferred option to replace the Colombian when he had to go off against Leicester.
Tyler Adams, Stuart Dallas and Maximilian Wober all missed the Foxes clash through injury with the Austrian defender confirmed by Garcia on Friday as having not yet returned to training.
The stats
Bournemouth’s current tally of 36 points could be enough to keep them up as it would have done in 15 of the last 27 Premier League campaigns.
A tally of 37 points would have been sufficient to secure safety in 20 of the 27 campaigns since the Premier League streamlined to 20 teams in 1995-96.
Sinisterra’s loss robs Leeds of one of their most potent players — the Colombian has scored seven goals in 15 starts for the club in all competitions this term.
Tuesday’s second-half surrender means the Whites have now dropped 20 points from winning positions so far in this Premier League campaign — only Leicester have dropped more (22).
Leeds Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has conceded a league-high 1.9 goals per 90 minutes this season, just ahead of Gavin Bazunu (1.8) and Danny Ward (1.8), who have both been dropped by their respective clubs.
Prediction
Bournemouth sunk their south coast rivals Southampton on Thursday and a similar result could leave Leeds in big trouble too.
O’Neil has been very good tactically since taking over the reins following the 9-0 thumping at Anfield back in August and, bar the odd setback, has steered a calm course to safety.
They are not that solid at the back, however, and are often forced to battle back from behind due to a habit of conceding the opening goal at home.
Leeds’ problem has been closing out matches once they have taken the lead and this crunch clash could provide another test of their game-management abilities.
The Whites have had 48 hours extra rest to prepare for this massive matchup, but could get very nervous if the Cherries sense a comeback is on.
Back Bournemouth to Win from Behind at 17/2 with LiveScore Bet.
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