The Premier League is set to return to our screens this weekend, following a brief hiatus due to the FA Cup – plus the return of European competitions, which is something we’re going to touch on again later. We find ourselves nearing towards the end of February, and that can only mean one thing: it’s about to get serious. Teams that are competing on multiple fronts will now be taking a good, hard look at their current situation in order to see what they’re going to prioritise. As well as that, we get the feeling that we’re going to be treated to a variety of entertaining games up and down the division between now and May.

One such game that we’re looking forward to, this weekend at least, is Bournemouth vs Wolverhampton Wanderers. In terms of creating excitement these two teams certainly know how to keep fans watching, with their respective styles meshing together well. The Cherries are a slightly fresher face in the realms of the top flight, although they’ve been there (in their current spell) a little bit longer than Wolves. With that being said, you could certainly argue that the Midlands side have done more in their short time in the league than Bournemouth have since gaining promotion.

With that being said, we don’t want to discredit what Eddie Howe has been able to accomplish at the club. They’ve gone from being on the verge of falling out of the Football League, to being Premier League regulars. That’s no small feat and while they’ve struggled at times with inconsistency throughout the season, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be applauded. Plus, there’s a lot left to fight for between now and when the final whistle blows on the season, and Howe will want to ensure that Bournemouth are in a healthy position by that point.

When it comes to Wolves, it’s hard not to be impressed. Nuno Espirito Santo has been able to build a side that is, without exaggeration, a contender for a Europa League place. Fans should try their best not to get too carried away but it’s probably hard to try and follow those rules, as they’re showing all the traits of a club that will be in the Premier League for a long time to come. Alas, they’ll continue to try and take things one step at a time, starting with a game against Bournemouth that will be viewed as one they should be winning.

Bournemouth’s last six game run began in a disappointing way, as they crashed out of the FA Cup in the Third Round against Brighton & Hove Albion. They carried that form through to the league, with Everton beating them 2-0. They managed to get back on track with two big, big wins, one against West Ham United and the latter against Chesea – which was a battering. They couldn’t keep it going, though, as they lost 2-0 to Cardiff before being taken to school by a Liverpool side that were just head and shoulders above them across the pitch.

Wolves began their latest stretch with a 2-2 draw against Shrewsbury, which could’ve ended their Wembley dreams before they even began. They wound up winning their next three games straight against West Ham, Everton and Shrewsbury in the replay, before scoring a late equaliser to draw against Newcastle in the Premier League. They then edged past Bristol City to book their place in the quarter finals of the FA Cup, where they will indeed play for a spot at Wembley Stadium in the semi finals as they take on Manchester United.

The overall head to head standings between these two teams may be a little surprising to some fans out there, as Bournemouth actually lead proceedings 6-4 with two draws. They first met way back in 1948 but have played each other sporadically since then, with their last meeting coming back in December. It was then that Wolves were able to bring the Cherries’ five game unbeaten run against them to an end, registering a 2-0 victory. Now, Bournemouth will be out for a measure of revenge, as they look to finally start building some consistency in a season where they’ve been seriously deficient in that area.

With nearly two weeks to recover in the wake of the loss to Liverpool, Bournemouth will certainly be feeling fresh and ready for this one. Nathaniel Clyne is expected to return to the starting XI after being ineligible in his last outing, with Junior Stanislas facing a race against time as he battles to recover from a thigh injury. Jefferson Lerma, Dan Gosling and Andrew Surman are expected to be dropped to the bench for this encounter, with Dominic Solanke coming in as a result. Callum Wilson and David Brooks, two of Bournemouth’s star men, are also expected to miss out which will serve as a big boost for the visitors.

Things are a little bit more straightforward for Nuno, who will be hoping to extend the club’s unbeaten run here. Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty are considered to be the primary injury concerns, and will be analysed on the day to see whether or not they can feature. Aside from that the boss has a fully fit squad to choose from, which makes him much luckier than most in this division. With so many players putting up great performances in recent weeks, though, it’ll be interesting to see just how many changes he makes for the trip down south.

Bournemouth vs Wolves Betting Prediction

Every single instinct in the majority of football fans will be to bet on Wolves this weekend, mainly due to the great run of form they’re on. While we can kind of understand the logic behind that, we’re going to go a bit ‘outside the box’ and say the Cherries will secure the three points. If you’ve followed Wolves extensively beyond their highs this season, then you’ll be well aware of the fact that this is the exact kind of game they’re likely to lose. Just look at the Newcastle game which they were lucky to get a point from.

Bournemouth are gritty and know how to frustrate teams at home, with their fast passing and forward thinking style. The model that Nuno has been building at Wolves is something that Howe would probably love to replicate, and for that reason, we think he’s going to go all out in an attempt to prove that they can hang with them. It’s going to be pretty back and forth throughout the majority of the game, but we believe the home side are going to come away with a big win.

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