Leeds United vs AFC Bournemouth
Leeds and Bournemouth need a victory this weekend so that they can breathe a sigh of relief, even for just a moment.
The 2022-23 Premier League campaign has been difficult for these two sides as they have one foot near the dreaded relegation zone, as Bournemouth are at the 14th spot with 13 points while Leeds are right below them with 12.
The Whites are coming off a morale-boosting 2-1 win against the Reds on Sunday to halt their losing skid, while the Cherries now face a similar task since they’re on a three-game losing streak of their own.
Elland Road is the place to be on Saturday evening, and SBOTOP is here to offer you a preview of what to expect from the game between the Whites and the Cherries.
Talking Points
Summerville relishing his opportunity at Leeds
Jesse Marsch’s faith in Crysencio Summerville has paid dividends as the 21-year-old has found the back of the net in their last two games.
His first Premier League goal came in their 3-2 loss against Fulham where he came off the bench and scored the consolation in added time, but his second might be the catalyst of their revival.
With the game level at 1-1, Leeds and Liverpool had chances to put the game away, and it was Summerville who converted the winner after picking up a ball from Patrick Bamford inside the box late.
That shot basically sealed Summerville’s place in the starting XI for the time being, especially with Patrick Bamford still struggling and Luis Sinisterra dealing with a minor foot injury.
Looks like Jesse Marsch has found the proper starting combination up front with Crysencio Summerville, Brenden Aaronson, and Jack Harrison running behind Rodrigo Moreno, while Wilfried Gnonto, Joe Gelhardt, and Patrick Bamford are viable attacking options off the bench.
Bournemouth hopeful that Phillip lives up to the Billing
Phillip Billing must rediscover his shooting touch against Leeds this Saturday.
The former Huddersfield Town man was banging in form with three goals against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, and Leicester City last September. But since then, he hasn’t found the back of the net, and it’s no coincidence that the Cherries have had a poor stretch of Premier League 2022 results.
Billing is now level with Kieffer Moore in Bournemouth’s scoring charts with three goals apiece, and they’re expected to lead up front once more alongside Dominic Solanke.
Solanke –the Cherries’ top playmaker with two goals and three assists – is expected to return after limping off against Tottenham last week, which should give Gary O’Neil a huge boost.
Their backline, though, leaves a lot to be desired since they’ve already surrendered a league-worst 28 goals as of this writing.
The loss of first-choice goalkeeper Neto is a huge blow for the Cherries since Mark Travers looks bereft of confidence between the sticks, and Adam Smith, Chris Mepham, and Marcos Senesi aren’t good enough to provide cover for the 23-year-old goalkeeper.
History
Leeds have had Bournemouth’s number especially when they play at Elland Road as the Whites won all six of their home league matches against them – their best home winning record against any other side.
Their last encounter was a 1-0 victory for the Whites back in January 2015 as Luke Murphy scored the only goal of the contest at the 36th minute.
Saturday marks their first-ever English top-flight contest. Furthermore, Bournemouth have only won once in their last 12 league meetings with Leeds (D2, L9), which was a 4-1 result at the Vitality Stadium back in March 2014.
The Whites have taken more points from their victory against Liverpool (3) than in their previous eight games combined (2). Meanwhile, this is the second time this season alone that Bournemouth suffered a three-game losing run. The Cherries haven’t lost four in a row since January to February 2021.
Betting Tip
Since they’re back on the winning track, the Premier League 2022 odds are favouring Leeds to win this contest. The Whites are installed at 1.79, while a rare Bournemouth victory is at 4.00 and chances for a draw are at 3.80 in the 1X2 market.
Their most recent encounters indicate that a clean sheet is unlikely, so Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.91 is one of the safest alternative bets out there.
Leeds should be able to ship in more goals than their visitors to take the three points and move up the English top-flight standings, which would give the Elland Road faithful something to cheer about.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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