Tottenham Hotspur – AFC Bournemouth
With six points from two games and a spectacular 2-1 win at Manchester City behind them, Tottenham welcome an inconsistent Bournemouth side on Saturday who are looking to make amends after a narrow cup defeat to Brentford and just three points from two league games. The Spurs sit in second place in the table, while the Cherries are in ninth place after a mixed start to the season.
Thomas Frank’s team impressively demonstrated their tactical flexibility with a convincing 3-0 win over Burnley in their opening game and another victory in Manchester. The signing of João Palhinha is already paying off, with the Portuguese promptly scoring in the City game and noticeably stabilizing the defense. Bournemouth showed improvement after their 4-2 defeat at Liverpool with a 1-0 win over Wolves, with Semenyo scoring twice against the Reds despite the defeat.
The history of this fixture promises spectacle: the last meeting in March ended 2-2, and the last five encounters have averaged over three goals per game. The bookmakers see Tottenham as clear favorites with a probability of just under 58%, reflecting the current form of both teams.
Both coaches have to juggle personnel concerns. While Tottenham will be without Maddison, Kulusevski, and Drăgușin for the long term, Bournemouth will be missing Cook and Ünal. In addition, Hamed Traoré could leave the visitors, with the midfielder apparently set to join Olympique Marseille.
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
- Date and time: 08/30/2025, 4:00 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 3)
Tottenham form & record check
Tottenham are in impressive form at the start of the new season and, after two matchdays, are in second place in the table with six points from two games and a goal difference of +5, level on points with Arsenal and Liverpool.
The spectacular 2-1 away win at Manchester City five days ago impressively underlined the team’s current strength. Brennan Johnson gave Tottenham the lead in the 35th minute before João Palhinha sealed the deal shortly before halftime. This performance at the Citizens was all the more remarkable given that Pep Guardiola has now lost eight of his last 15 encounters against Spurs.
The Londoners kicked off the season with a 3-1 win over Burnley, demonstrating their offensive power. An interesting pattern has emerged in the last five competitive games: Tottenham led at halftime without exception and scored in every first half. This dominance in the early stages could be a decisive factor for the rest of the season.
Nevertheless, Thomas Frank has to contend with considerable personnel problems. With James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, and Yves Bissouma, several regulars are out due to injury. Maddison’s absence until June 2026 weighs particularly heavily, while Kulusevski and Udogie still have no concrete return date.
Tottenham are likely to line up in their usual 4-3-3 formation, which Thomas Frank has favored this season. However, the line-up will be affected by several important absences.
The injuries to Kulusevski and Maddison in attacking midfield are particularly significant. While Kulusevski is out indefinitely with a knee injury, Maddison will be sidelined until June 2026 after tearing his cruciate ligament. Udogie is also unavailable in defense until the end of August.
Richarlison could take on a central role in attack, supported by Johnson and new signing Kudus on the wings. The midfield is likely to be made up of Palhinha, Sarr, and Bentancur, with Palhinha already impressing as a new signing against City. In defense, Romero and van de Ven are set to start as center backs, while Spence could play on the left and Porro on the right.
Bournemouth Form & Record Check
AFC Bournemouth are in 9th place in the table with three points after two matchdays, although their performances have been mixed. In their 4-2 defeat to Liverpool in their opening game, the manner of the defeat was by no means discouraging. Semenyo scored twice in the second half and showed his class in front of goal, even though he had previously had to report racist abuse.
The 1-0 home win against Wolves was the first success of the season, even if Tavernier’s early goal only found its way into the net thanks to a deflection. The Cherries dominated the game more clearly than the narrow result suggested. The fact that Wolves were later sent off with a red card underlined Bournemouth’s superiority that afternoon.
The cup defeat against Brentford a few days ago was much more sobering. The 0-2 home defeat was bitter, especially as goalkeeper Valdimarsson kept the Bees in the game with several saves. Araújo was shown a red card in injury time after receiving his second yellow, which was symptomatic of a frustrating evening.
The last five games reveal a worrying pattern: four defeats and only one win. It is particularly striking that Iraola’s team was already behind at half-time in four of the five games. This weakness in the early stages could prove fatal against Tottenham, especially as the team has conceded goals in each of its last three games.
In terms of personnel, two important players are missing in Cook and Ünal. Cook is not expected back until September, while Ünal is likely to be out until October. At least the new signings such as Doak and Adli are already integrated, with the former even being called up to the Scottish national team.
Coach Andoni Iraola is likely to stick with his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation, as the system has proven effective recently. In defense, Araújo could play at right back, while Diakité and Hill are likely to form the center-back pairing. Soler is likely to get the nod at left back.
In central midfield, Adams and Scott appear to be set as the double six. The attacking trio could see Christie in the center, flanked by Kluivert and Tavernier. Semenyo would act as a deep-lying striker, linking the midfield and attack.
The choice of goalkeeper will be interesting, with Petrovic considered the most likely candidate. The continued absences of Cook and Ünal mean there are still significant gaps in the squad, limiting Iraola’s tactical options. However, this lineup remains speculative until the official announcement.
H2H Tottenham – Bournemouth Head-to-head comparison & statistics
Head-to-head matches between Tottenham and Bournemouth have turned into real goal fests. In the last five encounters, there have been at least two goals per game, with both teams scoring regularly. Interestingly, Bournemouth have conceded goals in each of the last three meetings, while Spurs have remained prolific scorers throughout.
The most recent meeting in March this year ended 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Prior to that, Bournemouth celebrated a narrow 1-0 home win in December 2024. The record for the last five games is completely balanced, with two wins each for both teams and one draw.
The pattern in the first halves is striking: it usually remains quiet at first with a maximum of one goal before the games really pick up speed after the break. The second halves regularly produce at least three goals. One might think that both teams need some time to get going before they can unleash their offensive power.
Tottenham has recently proven to be dangerous in both halves, while Bournemouth has repeatedly struggled defensively. However, the Cherries managed to score in four of the five matches, which always kept the games exciting.
The first half almost traditionally belongs to Tottenham, who have led at halftime in each of their last five games, regularly scoring early. Bournemouth have found themselves behind at halftime in four of their last five games. This statistic becomes even more significant when you consider that the betting markets rate Spurs as clear favorites with odds of 1.7, but the special focus on the first half offers additional value.
The second tip focuses on the second halves, in which both teams regularly concede or score goals. Bournemouth’s defensive weaknesses after the break were recently evident at Liverpool, while Tottenham can often make an impact late on with substitutes such as Richarlison or Johnson.
The third tip is backed up by clear statistics: Spurs have kept three clean sheets in their last five games, while Bournemouth have only scored once in their last five away games. The sale of key players and ongoing injury concerns at the Cherries support the assessment that they could struggle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
