With Saturday’s programme ravaged by the FA Cup Quarter-Finals, there are just two more Premier League clashes to scrutinise this afternoon: Bournemouth play host to a resurgent Swansea City side, while Southampton search for their first win in four when they travel to Stoke.
The Cherries fared well on the attacking front over the last four Gameweeks – tallying six goals – but it’s their reaguard that has really shined: aside from being breached on just four occasions, they conceded the fewest shots inside the box (21) of any team that didn’t face a blank during that timeframe. As for the Swans, they also restricted their opponents to four goals but allowed the second-most shots inside the box (45) and joint-third-most big chances (nine).
Only three teams racked up more goals than Stoke City (seven) over the previous four Gameweeks, reflecting their improvement in the final third. In addition, Mark Hughes’ charges conceded the fewest goals (three) and big chances (three) of any outfit that didn’t miss a fixture over this spell. Shifting our attention to Saints, they ranked in the bottom third for attempts (43) and shots inside the box (23), illustrating their need for an attacking spark.
