AFC Bournemouth vs Newcastle United
Vitality Stadium, Dorset
Wednesday, 01-06-2020 @8pm
Ref: Kevin Friend
Bournemouth will be without top scorer Callum Wilson, who begins a two-match ban for accruing 10 league bookings. Phillip Billing has been passed fit after a dead leg but Josh King faces a fitness test on his injured ankle.
Newcastle head coach Steve Bruce has confirmed he will make changes from the side beaten in the FA Cup on Sunday, with Joelinton, Martin Dubravka and Jonjo Shelvey all in line for recalls. Matt Ritchie is rated “touch and go” because of a thigh injury.
Bournemouth are winless in four matches against the Magpies (D2, L2). However, Newcastle’s sole win away at Bournemouth was 1-0 in the Premier League in November 2015.
Bournemouth have lost 15 of their past 20 league matches (W3, D2), earning one point from the last six. They have been beaten 18 times, just one fewer than their Premier League record for losses in a single season. Both of Bournemouth’s league wins in 2020 came at Vitality Stadium, against fellow strugglers Brighton and Aston Villa. The Cherries are on a Premier League club record run of 14 consecutive matches without a clean sheet since a 1-0 victory at Chelsea on 14 December. Excluding penalties, Bournemouth have scored a league-high 48% of their 29 goals from set-pieces. Eddie Howe’s side are yet to score in the first 15 or final 15 minutes of a home league match this term.
Newcastle are unbeaten in four league fixtures since a 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in February. They are looking to win consecutive away league games for the first time since January 2018. Newcastle’s tally of 39 points is their highest after 31 matches of a Premier League season since 2013-14, when they had 46 under Alan Pardew. The Magpies are winless in their last 19 Premier League matches played on a Wednesday (D4, L15). Newcastle have failed to score in the first half of each of their past nine league fixtures. They have had 15 different goalscorers in the league this term, second only to Liverpool’s tally of 16. Matt Ritchie scored 31 goals in 130 league appearances for Bournemouth between 2013 and 2016.
Arsenal vs Norwich City
Emirates Stadium, London
Wednesday, 01-07-2020 @8pm
Ref: Peter Bankes
Arsenal are unbeaten in the past seven meetings with Norwich in league and cup (W5, D2). Norwich’s 1-0 home league win in October 2012 is their sole success against the Gunners in 19 contests (D8, L10). The Canaries’ last win at Arsenal was 4-2 in both clubs’ inaugural Premier League match in August 1992. Norwich have conceded 31 goals and kept only one clean sheet in the last 12 league encounters.
Arsenal are monitoring David Luiz and Mesut Ozil’s fitness due to hamstring and back issues but Cedric Soares is available and could make his debut. Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira, Gabriel Martinelli and Calum Chambers head a lengthy injury list.
Norwich will be without centre-back Timm Klose, who is suspended as a result of his red card at the weekend. Lukas Rupp, Max Aarons and Adam Idah are all being monitored after suffering minor injuries.
Arsenal have won seven of their past 10 matches in all competitions, as many as in their previous 27. They are unbeaten in five home league games (W4, D1). Arsenal are on a 26-match run without defeat in home league fixtures against promoted sides (W22, D4). The Gunners have scored in all but one of their previous 33 home league games stretching back to August 2018. Arsenal have lost only two of 17 matches against bottom-half sides (W8, D7), both coming against Brighton. They have 43 points after 31 league matches, 20 fewer than they had at this stage of last season.
Norwich have only won one of their 15 away league matches and scored just six goals. The Canaries have lost six of their seven away fixtures against the current top 10, with December’s 1-1 draw at Leicester the exception. They have lost all 18 league fixtures this season in which they conceded the opening goal. Daniel Farke’s side are the division’s lowest scorers, with 25 goals. Norwich are winless in 21 Premier League games in London (D6, L15), losing their last seven in a row.
Everton vs Leicester City
Goodison Park, Liverpool
Wednesday, 01-07-2020 @8pm
Ref: Dean Coote
A third successive victory for Leicester will equal their longest top-flight winning streak against Everton, last set in 1966. The Foxes could win both Premier League meetings in the same season for just the second time. However, Leicester have triumphed in only two of their 13 Premier League matches at Goodison Park (D7, L4).
Everton welcome back defender Yerry Mina for the visit of Leicester City but Fabian Delph is still sidelined. Djibril Sidibe should be available to face Tottenham on Monday while Theo Walcott is set to return to training next week.
Leicester midfielder James Maddison is a fitness doubt after missing the FA Cup loss loss Chelsea with a hip injury sustained in training. Defenders Ricardo Pereira and Daniel Amartey are long term absentees.
Everton’s win at Norwich City last time out was a first in five league games (D2, L2). The Toffees have 41 points after 31 matches, already bettering their total of 40 from 2017-18 and 2018-19. They could go nine Premier League home games unbeaten for the first time since 2013. Carlo Ancelotti has lost only three of his 44 Premier League home matches as a manager (W34, D7). Everton have conceded 46 Premier League goals, as many as in the entirety of last season. They have scored a league-high nine goals from corners. Excluding penalties, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s expected goals tally of 14.1 is the highest in the Premier League this season. Calvert-Lewin has had 45% of Everton’s 20 shots in the Premier League since the restart, including seven of the 12 against Norwich.
Leicester have won only four of their past 15 league fixtures (D5, L6). The Foxes have won seven of their 15 Premier League away matches, a tally only bettered in the top flight in 2015-16 (11) and 1965-66 (9). However, Leicester are winless in four Premier League away games since a 3-0 victory at Newcastle on New Year’s Day. They have scored just twice in those four matches. Jamie Vardy has scored six goals and assisted two in nine Premier League appearances versus Everton. Vardy can become the seventh player to score 20 Premier League goals on at least three occasions.
West Ham United vs Chelsea
London Stadium, London
Wednesday, 01-07-2020 @10:15pm
Ref: Martin Atkinson
Sebastien Haller, Arthur Masuaku and Angelo Ogbonna are “getting closer” to a return to action, according to West Ham manager David Moyes. However, the visit of Chelsea will likely come too soon for the injured trio.
Christian Pulisic is a doubt for the Blues with a calf problem sustained in Sunday’s FA Cup win over Leicester. The in-form American will be assessed along with defender Andreas Christensen, who has a hip problem.
West Ham are vying to complete their first league double over Chelsea since the 2002-03 season. The Hammers have only lost one of the past five meetings, winning two and drawing two.
West Ham have only won one of their past 11 league matches, drawing two and losing eight. The Hammers could suffer four consecutive Premier League defeats without scoring for the first time since October 2006. They could also lose four home Premier League London derbies in a row for the first time. David Moyes’ side have dropped a league-high 22 points from winning positions this season. Defeat would ensure the Hammers equal their Premier League club record of nine home defeats in a season. Only Southampton have earned fewer points at home than West Ham’s 15 this season. Moyes’ first win as West Ham manager was 1-0 against Chelsea in December 2017.
Chelsea have won five consecutive games in all competitions. Only Manchester City have scored more away league goals than Chelsea’s 31 this season. They have only lost once in eight Premier League matches, winning four and drawing three. The Blues have scored twice or more in each of their last five Premier League fixtures. Chelsea have only kept one clean sheet in their 15 Premier League away matches this season. Christian Pulisic’s seven Premier League goals this season is the most of any player in the division aged 21 or under.
The other upcoming Premier League games
Thursday, 02-07-2020
-Sheffield United vs Tottenham Hotspur @8pm
-Man City vs Liverpool @10:15pm
Result on Tuesday
-Brighton 0-3 Man United
