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Bournemouth Host Sunderland Riding European Highs in Premier League Relegation Six-Pointer
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Bournemouth Host Sunderland Riding European Highs in Premier League Relegation Six-Pointer

51 minutes ago·2 min

Bournemouth and Sunderland bring the momentum of midweek European victories into a Premier League clash at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 2:00pm BST. The match carries extra weight for both clubs, who sit in the bottom half of the table and are separated by a single point.

European highs, domestic worries

It has been an historic week for Bournemouth. The Cherries beat Austrian side Sturm Graz 3-0 on Thursday in their first-ever European home fixture, a result that brought the Vitality Stadium to life. Yet the celebration is tempered by a grim league reality — manager Marco Rose's side have failed to win any of their first six Premier League games, including a 5-1 thrashing at Chelsea last Saturday, and sit in the relegation zone.

With AC Milan arriving on the south coast next Thursday for another Europa League tie, Bournemouth must stay fully focused on the domestic battle. The Cherries remain without injured pair Alex Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi, though Justin Kluivert and Amine Adli both returned from absences against Sturm Graz.

Sunderland's dramatic winner in Europe

Sunderland's Thursday night in Portugal was no less gripping. Noah Sadiki's stoppage-time goal sealed a 2-1 win at Torreense — the Black Cats' first European away fixture in 53 years — giving manager Regis Le Bris' side two wins from two in the Europa League group stage.

The mood in the Sunderland camp is complicated, however. Despite the European joy, Le Bris' men have lost three consecutive Premier League matches, most recently a 2-0 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, and they have accumulated just four points from six league games. A long journey to the south coast now awaits.

Team news and prediction

Sunderland have been boosted by the returns of striker Brian Brobbey and midfielder Habib Diarra, who were both named on the bench against Torreense. Thomas Meunier and Wilson Isidor are doubts for the trip, while Dan Ballard remains sidelined.

Bournemouth are expected to edge a tight contest. The Cherries have home advantage and have done less travelling in the past week — factors that could prove decisive at this early stage of the season. FourFourTwo predicts a 2-1 win for Bournemouth.

How to watch

Viewers in the United Kingdom can follow the action live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning ahead of the 2:00pm BST kick-off. Fans in the United States can stream the match on Peacock, where kick-off falls at 9:00am ET. Australian supporters can tune in via Stan Sport, with the game starting at 12:00am AEDT on Monday morning.

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