PREVIEW: AFC BOURNEMOUTH (A)

10 December 2020

All you need to know for Saturday’s game

- Preview ahead of Town’s match against AFC Bournemouth
- A look at The Cherries’ key men
- Watch the game on IFollow HTAFC

Huddersfield Town will look to secure a third straight win in the Sky Bet Championship when they travel to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday 12 December; 3pm kick-off.

Town head into the match with consecutive 2-0 wins at the John Smith’s Stadium coming against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.

The Terriers will be looking to carry this excellent home form with them on the road as they head to Dorset for the weekend’s clash.

THE OPPOSITION

Jason Tindall took the reins at AFC Bournemouth this summer and their first season back in the Sky Bet Championship after a five year stay in England’s top-flight has got off to a good start!

They currently sit in the automatic promotion places just three points behind league leaders Norwich City.

A very attacking side, Tindall’s men have bagged 29 goals so far this campaign, only Blackburn Rovers have scored more. They have also only conceded 16 goals this season.

The Cherries currently sit sixth in the home form table so far this season with 17 points from eight games. They have only been beaten once at the Vitality Stadium, losing 3-2 to Preston North End at the beginning of December.

FORM GUIDE

The Cherries come into the game off the back of a 0-0 draw with Swansea City and have won just one of their last four Sky Bet Championship games!

Their unbeaten home record came to an end in their last home game as they suffered a defeat against Preston North End.

As mentioned, Huddersfield Town come into the game looking for their third win in a row. However, the Terriers have only won one of their last four away games. Last win came at Millwall at the end of October.

ONES TO WATCH

Dominic Solanke

The Cherries forward has been in fine form so far this season bagging six Sky Bet Championship goals.

Four of those have come in the last seven games, which included a brace in an enthralling comeback against Reading, which they went on to win 4-2.

The 23-year-old doesn’t just bring goals to the side, he has also chalked up three assists this season showing goalscoring.

David Brooks

Brooks joined AFC Bournemouth from Sheffield United in July 2018 after impressing in the Sky Bet Championship with the Blades.

The Welsh international received praise for his debut season in Bournemouth for his silky dribbling and technical play. He managed seven goals and five assists on his first Premier League season for The Cherries.

Brooks was nominated for the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month award for November, alongside Carel Eiting, and has three goals and three assists to his name this season.

Junior Stanislas

The attacking midfielder has been at AFC Bournemouth since 2014 and continues to be a regular!

Being utilised in various positions from his usual spot on the wing to working in a midfield three, he brings lots of experience to the Cherries.

Stanislas has scored four goals and has two assists to his name so far this season. Those four goals have actually come in this last four games!

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

Town narrowly edge the all-time record in wins against AFC Bournemouth, winning 19 games to the Cherries 16. A draw has been the most common result with the two sides sharing the spoils 18 times. The first competitive meeting between the sides came back in 1973, where the two sides drew 1-1.

There is history of high scoring games when the two sides meet, most notably the last time the two sides met in the Premier League. AFC Bournemouth beat Town 4-0 at the Vitality before the Terriers got their revenge with a 4-1 win in the return fixture at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Town haven’t won at AFC Bournemouth since 18 August 2007!

ACTION ELSEWHERE

Our match is one of 12 games on Saturday. Here’s the full list of games (all kick-offs 3pm unless stated)

Saturday 12 December 2020

Cardiff City vs Swansea City (12.30pm kick-off)
Wycombe Wanderers vs Coventry City
Sheffield Wednesday vs Barnsley
Rotherham United vs Bristol City
Queens Park Rangers vs Reading
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford
Middlesbrough vs Millwall
Luton Town vs Preston North End
Derby County vs Stoke City
Blackburn Rovers vs Norwich City
Birmingham City vs Watford

TEAM NEWS

Carlos Corberán will give an injury update during his press conference at 1.30pm on Thursday 10 December 2020.

KIT

Town will be sporting the yellow and purple alternative kit against AFC Bournemouth with the Town Foundation logo on the front – CLICK HERE to get yours!

HOW TO WATCH

Huddersfield Town supporters can watch Saturday’s game against AFC Bournemouth on iFollow HTAFC.

As per the agreement between the EFL and Sky Sports, Season Card holders will not receive a code to watch this game.

That means that all supporters have to purchase a match pass on iFollow HTAFC to watch the game!

The match pass will cost £10; click here to get yours.

Match Reports

REPORT: BOURNEMOUTH 5-0 TOWN

12 December 2020

Huddersfield Town were beaten 5-0 by AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship.

An early double for Dominic Solanke set the tone with the visitors before David Brooks, Junior Stanislas and Sam Surridge all got on the scoresheet to condemn Town to a heavy defeat on the South Coast.

There was a much-changed look to Carlos Corberán’s side for the game at the Vitality Stadium, with six changes from the midweek victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Among those returnees was Alex Pritchard playing for the first time in over a month having been sidelined with an ankle injury whilst Harry Toffolo captained the Terriers for the first time, for the visit to the Vitality Stadium.

Despite coming into the game off the back of two wins on home soil over the last seven days, Town endured a difficult start on the road in Bournemouth.

The Cherries got the opener on eight minutes after Dominic Solanke picked out the bottom corner with a well-executed finish from outside the area.

Town were nearly produced an instant response only for a good save from Asmir Begović to deny Juninho Bacuna’s goal-bound effort.

Having been unlucky not to be level straight away, the Terriers’ misfortune continued as the home side doubled their lead 13 minutes in.

After winning the ball high up the pitch, the Cherries found the net again through Dominic Solanke who picked out the opposite corner this time to take his tally to two for the afternoon.

Despite that, Carlos Corberán’s side were continuing to cause problems at the other end with Begović this time getting down to Danny Ward’s low shot before Lewis O’Brien fired just wide from distance.

The Cherries were showing a clinical nature at the other end however and were 3-0 up after 21 minutes.

David Brooks got in on the act, curling his shot into the net from a central area just outside the box to compile Town’s early misery on the South Coast.

Looking for a way back into the contest, Town put together a good move before the half-hour mark. Ward produced a good piece of improvisation inside the box before finding the head of the fit-again Alex Pritchard who nodded into the side netting.

Almost instantly after the break, the Terriers attempted to produce a response and went close though Jaden Brown who cut in from the left and curled at goal but Begović got down low to parry away the effort.

Shortly before the hour mark there was a professional debut for 17-year-old midfielder Brahima Diarra who made his First-Team bow replacing Jaden Brown for Town.

It was a rare highlight for the Terriers as the hosts got on target for the first time in the second half with their fourth of the afternoon.

Junior Stanislas carved his way through the Town defence before keeping his composure to find the net.

The Cherries’ double of hour-mark substitutes then combined with some of their first touches to make it five, less than 10 minutes later.

Dan Gosling squared for Sam Surridge whose first-time strike put the hosts 5-0 up with the final goal on an afternoon to forget for the Terriers at the Vitality Stadium.

Next up for Town is Coventry City at the St Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday 16 December 2020; 8pm kick-off.

AFC BOURNEMOUTH (4-3-3)

Asmir Begović; Lloyd Kelly, Jack Simpson, Steve Cook (c), Adam Smith (Jordan Zemura, 87’); Philip Billing (Sam Surridge, 62’), Lewis Cook, Jefferson Lerma; Junior Stanislas (Ajani Burchall, 87’), Dominic Solanke (Rodrigo Riquelme, 71’), David Brooks (Dan Gosling, 62’)

Unused subs

Mark Travers; Nnamdi Ofoborh, Gavin Kilkenny, Jaidon Anthony

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-3-3)

Ben Hamer (Ryan Schofield, 46’); Harry Toffolo (c) (Romoney Crichlow, 72’), Naby Sarr, Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Aaron Rowe; Juninho Bacuna, Lewis O’Brien (Álex Vallejo, 72’), Alex Pritchard; Jaden Brown, Danny Ward (Isaac Mbenza, 56’), Adama Diakhaby

Unused subs

Pipa, Carel Eiting, Fraizer Campbell, Matty Daly

REFEREE

Oliver Langford