AFC Bournemouth will be looking to get back to winning ways this weekend, as they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage, in a Saturday 3pm kick-off.
Bournemouth have not won in the league since boxing day, a 3-0 win against this weekend’s opponents, Fulham. In Bournemouth’s defence, they’ve played Tottenham, Liverpool and West Ham in that time, so all have been tough games. Playing the last team they beat could be a perfect cure to Bournemouth’s mini problems.
After Fulham, Bournemouth face Newcastle and Manchester City, and with the drop zone never far away, three points this weekend could be crucial.
Fulham on the other hand are coming off the back of two premier league draws and currently sit one place below Bournemouth, in 13th, having played a game more than the Cherries.
Andoni Iraola sat down with the media, including Nerve Sport, on Friday afternoon to preview the upcoming game.
Just before the press conference, Bournemouth confirmed the permanent signing of Luis Sinisterra from Leeds on a “long-term deal”. The Columbian winger has spent the first half of the season on loan with the Cherries, playing 17 times and impressing with his recent performances.
On the signing, Iraola commented:
“It’s good news. He has adapted very well, he is performing very well. It is good for the team.”
Iraola also commented how the winger position is probably the most closely contested in his squad, but Sinisterra is becoming a complete player.
Iraola also confirmed to Nerve Sport that this deal has no effect on Jaidon Anthony’s Leeds move, he is still set to return to the Cherries pre-season, despite the permanent arrival of Sinisterra.
On the injury front, Aarons and Fredericks remain out but everyone else is available for this weekend's clash, a rare weekend of no injury setbacks for the Cherries.
Commenting on another deadline day signing, Enes Unal, Iraola said why he arrived and what he can offer that Kieffer Moore couldn’t:
“He can offer some things that Kieffer was also offering, in terms of ariel threat and as a number 9, there are different things as well but there are things in common as well.”
Some managers like nothing less than to keep up with all the Premier League games, while some like to watch all of the action, Iraola said to Nerve Sport that he sits somewhere in the middle of this scale:
“It depends what happens on Saturday! If we win, I want to see everything because I am in a good mood. If we lose it feels like a punishment because we have to see it and we don’t want to, I prefer to watch the games live but it’s not always possible.”
Bournemouth vs Fulham kicks-off at 3pm on Saturday.