Tottenham Hotspur vs. AFC Bournemouth: match preview, projected lineups, predictions, and how to watch

In a matter of hours, I will drive to South Bend, jump on a plane to Detroit, jump on another plane across the Atlantic, and will soon be in Dear Old Blightly, my first ever trip across the pond. Where I will meet several of you, drink lots of beer, and do dumb touristy crap like most Americans do their first time in London.

Oh, and hopefully watch Tottenham Hotspur beat AFC Bournemouth.

It feels like a good time to go to my first ever Spurs match. Tottenham are on a roll, winners of six straight league matches, undefeated at home, and now with their talismanic striker back in Harry Kane. The club is second in the table, 14 points above Arsenal, and seven behind Chelsea.

What could possibly go wrong?

The last time these two clubs met at Dean Court, Bournemouth came straight out at Tottenham Hotspur and nearly out-Pochettino’d Pochettino with an intense press and a well-organized defense. The match ended a scoreless draw, which felt at the time like a very good result for Bournemouth against a Spurs side that was without their best defender in Toby Alderweireld and best attacker in Harry Kane. This time Spurs have both, and that’s probably bad news for Eddie Howe.

A Tottenham team on a roll, a start for Harry Kane, and a chance for Alli to pad his head-to-head stats against Jack Wilshire. This sounds like a fun match and I can’t wait to see it.

How to Watch

Date/time: Saturday, April 15, 12:30 p.m. (UK), 7:30 a.m. ET (USA)
Venue: White Hart Lane, London, UK
Official: Michael Oliver
TV: NBC Sports Network (USA), Sky Sports 1/HD (UK), TSN (Canada), Optus Sport, SBS One (Australia), other listings at livesoccertv.com
Streaming: NBC Sports Live Extra (USA)
Radio: Audio streamed at tottenhamhotspur.com, also often at BBC Radio London,BBC Radio 5 Live, and TalkSport

Projected Lineup

Welcome back, Harry! After a late 20 minute cameo at the end of the Watford match, it’s pretty much a done deal that Kane will be in the starting lineup against Bournemouth. That’s good, because I didn’t fly all the way to London to see him on the bench.

The biggest question mark from here on out is what kind of formation we’ll see against the Cherries. The return to the Dier-Dembele midfield and the 4-2-3-1 has coincided with some of the best football Spurs have played all year, but it also depends on Victor Wanyama and how he’s feeling. Somehow I suspect that Pochettino will roll with the hot hand against a Bournemouth side that, as we discovered in the first match at the Vitality Stadium, knows how to press. Moose and Dier should help a great deal in that regard.

Danny Rose is still dead, so the rest of the team more or less picks itself.

Prediction League

Nobody nailed the exact score last week, but everyone gets a point for correctly picking Spurs to beat Watford. That means Pachniuk, Mechanick & Punk (which sounds like an ambulance-chasing legal team) maintain their lead at the top of the table.

A reminder of the scoring: one point for picking the winner, two if you pick the correct score.

Dustin Menno: I am at this match. We will win big or I will cry. 3-0 Spurs.

Matthew Pachniuk: 3-0 Spurs.

Jake Meador: Spurs win 2-0. Bournemouth gives us some trouble, but ultimately we're at home and Kane is back. That will be enough.

GN Punk: Spurs are undefeated at home and Bournemouth are not going to be the team that ends that run. Harry scores a hat trick and dedicates it to Menno. Spurs 4-0.

Brian Mechanick: With Chelsea's hardest fixture left this week, expect Spurs to smash Bournemouth and keep the pressure on the Blues. 3-1 Spurs

Earl of Shoop: Spurs steamroll Bournemouth. Menno scores a brace in his Premier League debut. Spurs 3-0.

Alex Greenberg: Bournemouth get Kaned, and Jan finally gets his goal. 4-1 Spurs.

Pardeep Cattry: This will probably an easy one. Tottenham 3-0 Bournemouth