Bournemouth will get their new Premier League season underway with a home fixture against West Ham on Saturday.
The Cherries have made some exciting signings in the summer transfer window, bringing in players such as Milos Kerkez, Justin Kluivert, Ionut Radu and Romain Faivre while turning Junior Traore’s loan deal into a permanent one.
In contrast, West Ham are yet to make a summer signing so far in the window despite pocketing £105m by selling Declan Rice to Arsenal. There are working to conclude a deal to sign Edson Alvarez from Ajax as soon as possible.
Bournemouth ended their preparations for the new campaign with a 2-0 win over FC Lorient, while West Ham were humiliated 4-0 by Bayer Leverkusen in their final pre-season friendly. With that being said, let us take a look at the key battles that could define the outcome of the game at the Vitality Stadium.
#Philip Billing vs Tomas Soucek
Philip Billing was arguably Bournemouth’s best player last season and the midfielder staying put amid interest from several clubs is a big boost to the club’s chances for survival.
The Dane is a strong presence in the middle of the park, capable of winning a lot of aerial duels. His marauding runs in the box to finish off chances are impressive. Monitoring Billing’s movement in midfield is a difficult task and Tomas Soucek will have his work cut out.
After Declan Rice’s departure, Soucek could move to the No.6 position to provide Lucas Paqueta with the license to create problems in the final third for the opposition. With his physique and aerial strength, the Czech Republic international should be able to match Billing in the middle of the park. It will be interesting to see if he can keep the Bournemouth star quiet in this encounter.
#Jarrod Bowen vs Milos Kerkez
Jarrod Bowen was key to West Ham winning the Europa Conference League last season. His presence in attack has been fruitful for David Moyes, with the right-winger netting 26 goals and 20 assists in the last three Premier League seasons combined.
Expected to start on the right of West Ham’s front three on Saturday, Bowen would look to cause problems for the Bournemouth defence with his speed and movement. Milos Kerkez, one of Bournemouth’s new signings, is expected to start at left-back and will be tasked with stopping Bowen.
An attacking left-back, Kerkez likes to bomb forward and contribute to his team’s attacks. However, on Saturday, the Hungary international must show defensive awareness to nullify Bowen’s threat on and off the ball.
#Michail Antonio vs Illia Zabarnyi
With Gianluca Scamacca having returned to Italy following a poor season at the London Stadium, Michail Antonio is expected to lead West Ham’s attack against Bournemouth. Antonio, with his pace and physicality, can be a real handful for the hosts’ backline.
Illia Zabarnyi, Bournemouth’s young central defender, will have to be on his toes throughout the game to keep Antonio at bay. Considering how tricky and dangerous the West Ham forward can be on his day, the Ukraine international will have a big job on his hands at the weekend.
It will be interesting to see if Zabarnyi can stop Antonio from finding the back of the net in this encounter.