Bournemouth vs Stoke preview: Benik Afobe hopes to maintain scoring form despite Twitter spat

A look ahead to the Premier League fixture at the Vitality Stadium

Benik Afobe celebrates scoring his first goal for his new club

(Getty Images)

It’s a big game for…

Jack Butland

Stoke are heading for their fifth consecutive loss and are desperate for a turnaround. Having conceded six goals in his last two appearances against Manchester United and Everton, Butland will be feeling the pressure. A clean sheet against Bournemouth would do wonders for the English keeper’s confidence and possible rejuvenate a difficult period for Stoke.

Weird stat…

Stoke have failed to win by more than one goal on the road a single time this season. This worrying stat is just one indicator of the struggles of the Stoke attack. They will be looking to change this as they face Bournemouth, who have conceded in all of their last four games.

Player to watch…

Benik Afobe

The 22-year-old is on fire at the moment, having scored four in his last five Premier League matches for the club. The youngster might be starting to feel pressure of continuity however, as he took to Twitter in defence of his time at Wolves, insisting he tried his best.

As long as he can keep performing on the pitch however, Afobe looks to be a real threat.

Past three-meetings…

Stoke 2 (Walters, Diouf) Bournemouth 1 (Gosling)
Premier League, September 2016.

Stoke City 3 (Hoekstra, Iwelumo 2) Bournemouth 0
FA Cup, January 2003.

Bournemouth 3 (Purches, Hughes, Feeney) Stoke 1 (Dadason)
League One, February 2002.

Form guide…

Bournemouth: LWDWWL

Stoke: DLWLLL

Vital information…

KICK-OFF TIME: 3pm

TV: Highlights on BBC1