Eddie Howe will be ecstatic with the way his Bournemouth side have started their Premier League campaign this season. With victories over West Ham and Cardiff City in the first two games of the season, the Cherries are one of the six clubs yet to drop a point and they will look to continue their fine form when they welcome Marco Silva’s Everton to the Vitality Stadium this weekend.
The Toffees beat Southampton in the last game and drew their first game against Wolves.
Bournemouth – Team News
Junior Stanislas and Diego Rico are both long-term absentees and will play no role for the club for at least another month.
Jefferson Lerma joined the club late in the summer and will only make the bench, even if he is match fit. The manager made no changes to his side from the first game and has no real reason to stray from it this weekend either.
Expected Bournemouth lineup (4-4-2)
Defence
Asmir Begovic has already made five saves in the first two games and has conceded just one goal, that too from the spot. He will be tough to beat for a Cardiff side that is yet to find the back of the net this season.
Steve Cook was the best player for Bournemouth last weekend and will retain his place alongside Nathan Ake. The pair have made an incredible 37 clearances so far this season.
Charlie Daniels and Adam Smith both average two tackles per game and will hope to put in solid performances at both ends of the pitch this weekend at left-back and right-back respectively. They will have a tough task in keeping the likes of Theo Walcott and Richarlison in check.
Midfield
With a passing accuracy of 83%, Andrew Surman has been crucial to Bournemouth’s impressive start to the season. He will start in the middle of the park, alongside Dan Gosling, who has also been consistent.
David Brooks did not last the 90 minutes in either game but will add width on the right. Ryan Fraser, who already has a goal and an assist this season, is expected to start on the left side of the midfield.
Attack
With two goals, three assists, seven successful dribbles and eight shots to his name so far this season, Calum Wilson has been the most effective attacker for the Cherries.
Wilson has been complemented well by Joshua King, who has shown great strength in attack, winning eight aerial duels and adding a different dimension to the Bournemouth forward line.
This is how they might line up:
Stat Credit: Whoscored.com