AFC Bournemouth vs Fulham Predictions

• Under 2.5 goals has been a winning bet in six of Bournemouth’s last seven home matches.
• Fulham have taken just one point from their three away league games this season.
• No Premier League player had more shots last season than Antoine Semenyo’s 125 for the Cherries.

Cherries enjoying an excellent start

Bournemouth ultimately fell short in their quest for European football last season and the fact that was a disappointment shows how far the south-coast outfit have come.

But there has been plenty of evidence that they should be right in the fight again this term as they have started strongly and have a good chance to steal a march on their rivals at the beginning of the weekend when they face Fulham on Friday night.

There were strong signs in the Cherries’ opening game when Andoni Iraola’s side fought back well from two goals down against Liverpool at Anfield before falling to too late goals and that 4-2 reverse remains their only league loss of the campaign.

Bournemouth have won at home to Wolves and Brighton and also been the only team this season to have beaten Tottenham, so there is plenty of cause for optimism around the Vitality Stadium, even if they were held to a goalless draw in their last home games against Newcastle.

Fulham chances are hard to come by

Opponents Fulham are muddling along and it would be a huge surprise if they became embroiled at the bottom of the table this season, but the problem for Marco Silva is that his team are struggling to create chances.

Only once in their six matches have they generated an expected-goals (xG) score of more than 1.1 and their only point on the road came courtesy of a last-gasp equaliser at Brighton.

They also benefitted from an own goal that gave the Cottagers a 1-0 home win over Leeds, and they had just three shots on target in last week’s 3-1 loss at Aston Villa, one of which was a Raul Jimenez goal in the third minute.

The Mexican forward could be missing from this one and it is doubtful that the Londoners have the required punch to trouble the Cherries too much, so a home win appeals alongside a 2-0 correct-score selection as there have been more than two goals in just one of Bournemouth’s last seven home matches.

Semenyo will try his luck

Those looking for a first-goalscorer bet are pointed towards Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

The Ghanaian midfielder had more shots in last season’s Premier League than any other player and he has looked strong so far, scoring both of his side’s goals at Anfield and adding another two strikes to his tally.

He has become the driving force for Iraola’s side and it would not be a surprise if he was back in the goals here. It won’t be for the want of trying, that’s for sure.