Brentford FC vs AFC Bournemouth, Premier League 2022-2023, Today Match Prediction

Brentford FC vs AFC Bournemouth Match Prediction & Analysis

Brentford’s remarkable season continues with Thomas Frank’s side becoming one of the toughest teams to beat due to their ongoing quality and organisation.

Especially strong at home, the Community Stadium has become a fortress for the Bees and have only lost once there all season.

It takes a special performance to beat Brentford at home these days and victory for Brentford here could take them ahead of Liverpool into 7th.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Bournemouth have well and truly lapsed into their old self in recent times. 

Gary O’Neil appeared to steady the ship when he was brought in to replace Scott Parker but since being given the job on a permanent basis, Bournemouth have barely produced a positive display.

There only seems like one winner here.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Brentford FC Preview

Reasons to be cheerful:

     Ivan Toney is fit to start after a knee injury

     Looking to equal club record of three victories in a row

Reasons to be fearful:

     Bournemouth will be desperate for points after poor run

     Conceded in each of their last home games

Brentford are not completely watertight at home – they do tend to concede a goal or two – but their points record is as good as most teams in the league.

Apart from their defeat to league leaders Arsenal, they haven’t suffered defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium this season, a remarkable record for a club of their size.

They have set a club record in going six games unbeaten in the Premier League, and could equal another by winning three on the bounce if they claim all three points here.

Incredibly, they are unbeaten in all 19 games where they have opened the scoring. You’d back them to do the same here against a Bournemouth side lacking any confidence right now.

Complacency is probably their biggest concern at this stage – do they sit back and think they’ve made it because they’re in the top half of the league? Not likely with Thomas Frank as manager.

Star Man – Ivan Toney

Toney has missed Brentford’s last two games – victory over Liverpool in the league and defeat to West Ham in the FA Cup – with a knee injury. Now back, he’ll be keen to add to his 12 league goals this season.

AFC Bournemouth Preview

Reasons to be cheerful

     Manager O’Neil knows that they need to improve quickly

     Scoring twice in FA Cup could give their strikers a boost

Reasons to be fearful

     Lost seven of their last eight games

     Yet to score a league goal since the Premier League resumed after World Cup

Bournemouth are in freefall right now, needing a dramatic change of circumstances to keep them from falling into the bottom three.

With just a point keeping above the drop zone, it’s clear to see why Bournemouth fans aren’t the happiest these days. 

Gary O’Neil started life brightly, going unbeaten in his first six games as caretaker manager. Being appointed on a permanent basis hasn’t done him a lot of good, having lost seven of the next eight.

More worryingly, they haven’t scored a league goal since the World Cup break, now clocking in at 270 minutes and counting.

Despite defeat to Championship side Burnley, they managed to score a couple in that game, which could give the strikers some confidence coming into this one.

They might not get too much change out of Brentford, however.

Star Man – Dominic Solanke

With four goals and three assists this season, Solanke is Bournemouth’s best avenue to goal. Can he use his pace to get in behind Brentford’s backline?