Gameweek 28 of the 2025/26 Premier League season continues on Saturday. The latest round of fixtures will start with the match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa at Molineux before the action resumes on Saturday with Bournemouth vs Sunderland at the Vitality Stadium.
Bournemouth’s recent resurgence resembles the team’s charge in the first quarter of the 2025/26 season. The Cherries are on a seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, losing only once in 2026. The run of results has helped Andoni Iraola’s men rise to eighth in the Premier League standings, giving them hope for European qualification.
On the other hand, Sunderland’s surprise run in the top half of the Premier League table recently ended, and they have struggled in 2026. The Black Cats have won only one of their last five top-flight games, with the poor performances leaving them 12th in the standings, two points behind their hosts this weekend.
The reverse fixture saw Sunderland come from two goals down to beat Bournemouth 3-2 at the Stadium of Light, with Brian Brobbey scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Andoni Iraola has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Bournemouth head coach will be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs Sunderland on Saturday.
Lewis Cook is the most notable absentee due to a hamstring injury. The experienced midfielder accompanies Justin Kluivert (knee), Ben Gannon-Doak (thigh) and Julio Soler (unspecified) in the treatment room.
Djordje Petrovic is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Bournemouth lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Sunderland on Saturday. The backline will feature Alex Jimenez, James Hill, Marcos Senesi, and Adrien Truffert.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Tyler Adams and Alex Scott in the double pivot. Eli Junior Kroupi will reprise the no. 10 role, with Rayan Vitor and Amine Adli being the two wide attackers. Finally, Evanilson will lead the line for Bournemouth against Sunderland on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Rayan, Kroupi, Adli; Evanilson
Unlike his counterpart in the Bournemouth dugout, Regis Le Bris has new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the Vitality Stadium. The Sunderland head coach will be without half a dozen first-team players on Saturday.
Nordi Mukiele (calf), Jocelin Ta Bi (ankle), and Brian Brobbey (groin) are the latest absentees, with the trio unavailable for the foreseeable future. They have joined Romaine Mundle (thigh), Dennis Cirkin (thigh), and Reinildo Mandava (knee) in the treatment room. However, Bertrand Traore should be fit and available to take on Bournemouth.
Robin Roefs is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Sunderland lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Bournemouth on Saturday. The backline will feature Lutsharel Geertruida, Dan Ballard, Omar Alderete, and Trai Hume.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Noah Sadiki and Granit Xhaka in the double pivot. Enzo Le Fee will reprise the no. 10 role, with Chemsdine Talbi and Nilson Angulo being the two wide attackers. Finally, Wilson Isidor will spearhead the Sunderland attack against Bournemouth this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Roefs; Geertruida, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Sadiki, Xhaka; Talbi, Le Fee, Angulo; Isidor
While Rayan, Granit Xhaka, and Enzo Le Fee were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Eli Junior Kroupi as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Bournemouth and Sunderland at the Vitality Stadium.
The French attacking prospect has scored eight goals from just 26 shots in the Premier League this season, the best shot conversion rate of any player with 20+ attempts (31%). Eli Junior Kroupi’s exploits have earned him attention from high-profile European clubs, and he will be the go-to player for Andoni Iraola this weekend.
Sunderland’s excellent run is quickly becoming a thing of the past, and they are not earning points in the games they should be losing. The xPts overperformance has been catching up to the Wearside outfit, and Saturday’s clash at the Vitality Stadium will become the latest exhibit in the ongoing stretch.
On the other hand, Bournemouth can barely put a foot wrong, with Rayan Vitor galvanising the squad as Antoine Semenyo’s replacement. The Brazilian should make his mark with another game-changing performance, and The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Andoni Iraola and his charges.
