Looking to clinch major silverware for the first time in their humble history, Bournemouth commence their 2024-25 FA Cup campaign with the hosting of West Bromwich Albion at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Cherries come into this cup clash following a record-breaking unbeaten run in the top flight, whilst the Baggies are battling on in the second tier without the services of a permanent manager.
Match preview
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Following a 2-1 home defeat to South Coast rivals Brighton & Hove Albion on November 23, Bournemouth have enjoyed a club-record eight-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, with the top-flight minnows' aggressive style of play proving challenging for some of the country's biggest clubs.
The latest victims of the Cherries' charge were Sean Dyche's Everton last Saturday afternoon at the Vitality Stadium, where Wales international David Brooks arrived off the bench and produced a magnificent volley to beat the impressive Jordan Pickford and secure maximum points for the hosts.
Winning five and drawing three of their last eight top-flight encounters, Andoni Iraola has guided his Bournemouth side into the upper echelons of the Premier League rankings, with Saturday's hosts currently occupying seventh spot, just three points behind Chelsea in a Champions League position.
Whilst hopes of a European tour are beginning to rise on the South Coast, the Cherries must now concentrate on a battle against Championship side West Brom in the third round of the FA Cup, with Iraola's men knocked out of this competition last season by Leicester City, who were a second-tier outfit at the time.
Bournemouth's standout start to the 2024-25 campaign has been fuelled by a strong unit instead of superstar attackers, as shown by the club's Golden Boot race, with Justin Kluivert (6), Antoine Semenyo (6) and summer arrival Evanilson (5) all helping to carry the goalscoring responsibility.
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Fighting on during the opening moments of 2025 without the guidance of a permanent head coach following the departure of Carlos Corberan on Christmas Eve, West Brom are doing an admirable job at keeping their playoff hopes alive whilst the powers that be appoint a successor to the Spaniard.
An interim coaching setup led by Baggies legends Chris Brunt and Boaz Myhill started their tenure with a concerning 2-1 defeat at Derby County on Boxing Day, but the Black Country outfit have since enjoyed a three-game unbeaten run, a spell which includes a 3-1 home victory over Preston North End on New Year's Day.
It appeared as if West Brom were on course to record back-to-back wins for the first time since September in South Wales last weekend when Premier League-linked Tom Fellows bagged his second goal of the term off the bench, but an added-time strike from Joe Allen restored parity in the second-tier contest for Swansea City.
Earning a respectable tally of five points from a quartet of second-tier clashes since Corberan jumped ship for Valencia, the Baggies are sitting in sixth place in the Championship standings ahead of this weekend's FA Cup-shaped break, one point above Blackburn Rovers in seventh.
West Brom will find it difficult to have a poorer experience in the FA Cup this time around compared to last season, when Corberan's troops were handed a derby day bruising at The Hawthorns, with goals from Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha winning a fourth-round tie for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Team News
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Bournemouth have suffered a major fitness blow during the opening days of 2025, with Brazilian star Evanilson expected to be sidelined until April due to a broken leg.
As a result, the Cherries will need to come up with a new solution at the focal point of their attack, one that cannot include striker Enes Unal, who is out for the remainder of the campaign with a cruciate ligament issue.
The Premier League side also have injury problems to contend with in their backline, with Marcos Senesi (muscle), Marcus Tavernier (hamstring) and Julian Araujo (hamstring) all occupying beds in the medical room on the South Coast.
West Brom are also without the talents of a powerful forward in the form of Daryl Dike, who is making a slow return from a serious Achilles injury sustained last February.
With Paddy McNair moving to MLS earlier this month, there is extra emphasis on the timely return of Semi Ajayi, with the Nigeria international out of action since October owing to a leg issue.
Given the quality of opposition, interim boss Brunt might opt to retain the majority of his star players in the XI, meaning that the Vitality Stadium could see the likes of Fellows, Josh Maja and Jayson Molumby from the start.
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Travers; Aarons, Kinsey-Wellings, Zabarnyi, Kerkez; Billing, Adams; Semenyo, Brooks, Ouattara; Kluivert
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Palmer; Furlong, Holgate, Heggem, Styles; Mowatt, Molumby; Fellows, Diangana, Johnston; Maja
We say: Bournemouth 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
With a raft of first-team players sidelined due to injury, Bournemouth are unlikely to cruise to third-round progression at the Vitality, especially if Iraola opts to rotate his XI.
West Brom have continued to be solid without Corberan barking orders from the touchline, although we feel that their Premier League opponents will be too strong on the South Coast.
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Carter White
