Key events
The teams!
AFC Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga, Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez, Cook, Christie, Semenyo, Ouattara, Tavernier, Evanilson.
Subs: Travers, Huijsen, Brooks, Scott, Sinisterra, Kluivert, Araujo, Unal, Aarons.
Southampton: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Taylor, Downes, Ugochukwu, Cornet, Fernandes, Fraser, Dibling.
Subs: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Aribo, Armstrong, Lallana, Stewart, Brereton, Archer, Onuachu.
Referee: Michael Oliver
Preamble
We are still very much in the honeymoon phase of 2024-25: after a few dates, there has been a few butterflies, a couple of nervous but excited glances and all that we know at this stage is that we are excited to know more. And in the cases of Bournemouth and Southampton, there is plenty of learn: the home side are still readjusting replacing one expensive striker (Dominic Solanke) with another (Evanilson), as well as a new goalkeeper between the sticks (Kepa), while Southampton are becoming a social experiment into how brave/stupid one football team can be in continuing to play out from the back. The Saints may still be the bookies’ favourites to be relegated, but they came awfully close to their first win of the season last time out against Ipswich – have they turned a corner?
This may not be a traditional ripsnorter of a fixture/date, or particularly romantic, but there is plenty to keep us interested. Just don’t call Bournemouth v Southampton a derby.
Kick-off: 8pm BST.