Tottenham v Bournemouth: Premier League Monday preview

Tottenham's EPL season has proved to be a dismal affair to date and a visit from a Bournemouth side who have realistic hopes of challenging for a top-four finish means that things are unlikely to get any better.

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs lie way down in 13th place ahead of the Cherries' visit in the early hours of Monday morning and they have lost their last two games 1-0 - to Manchester City in the Premier League and to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.

Bournemouth have also slipped in recent games, losing 1-0 at home to Wolves and 2-1 at Brighton, before edging past the former on penalties in the FA Cup.

Tottenham v Bournemouth betting preview

Defensive returns a possibility

Postecoglou has had to cope with a plethora of injuries during the season, but he looks set to be handed a major boost with key defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven having been on the bench for the midweek loss at AZ.

However, they may well not start here, with Postecoglou hinting heavily after the game in the Netherlands that the second leg of that tie was a more likely time for a full return, with the Europa League the last remaining avenue to silverware.

That could mean Kevin Danso and Archie Gray start at the heart of the defence, while centre-back Radu Dragusin remains a long-term absentee and striker Richarlison is also sidelined, with Dominic Solanke and Ben Davies facing late checks.

Postecoglou may be tempted to make an attacking change as well, with Mikey Moore tipped by some for a start, with Son Heung-min, Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert all struggling to make an impact against AZ.

Since Bournemouth arrived in the Premier League in 2015, the Lilywhites have won six of the seven home matches they have played against the Cherries, but earlier this season they were beaten 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium, with Dean Huijsen scoring the only goal of the game.

Cherries aim to avoid three in a row

Bournemouth are still in the mix for a top-four finish despite losing their last two league games against Wolves and Brighton, but head coach Andoni Iraola will want to see his side get back on track as soon as possible.

Key midfielder Ryan Christie is a doubt due to a groin injury, with Alex Scott standing by to deputise if his teammate is ruled out, but Iraola has no other new injury problems.

Enes Unal, Marcos Senesi and Julian Araujo remain out of the picture for the Cherries, who have enjoyed a season to remember to date - winning at home to Arsenal, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, while securing victories at both Manchester United and Newcastle United.

Having been beaten on their last two league outings, Iraola's side will be keen to avoid losing a third straight top-flight game for the first time this season, with the south coast outfit having not even gone winless in three consecutive games either.

The Cherries finished in 12th place last season - the first in charge for Iraola - and they are well on course to improve on that significantly this time around, with a European place very much in their sights.

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Tottenham v Bournemouth odds

Tottenham - 2.75
Draw - 3.90
Bournemouth - 2.30

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.