Can We Break The Sequence Of Defeats?

After the International break, the Premier League gets underway again and the Cherries make the journey to the Potteries to play Stoke City. This is the fourth season in charge for Mark Hughes as their manager. In his first three seasons as manager Stoke City have finished in 9th place each time.

Stoke after playing at the Victoria Ground for more than 119 years, from 1878 to 1997 set up a record of staying the longest time at one ground in English football history. They then moved to their present ground the Britannia Stadium (now called bet365 Stadium).

This season Stoke City have signed Joe Allen from Liverpool for £13 million, they also signed Ramadan Sobhi the Egypt winger from Al Ahly for £5 million. Amongst the other signings is Wilfried Bony on loan from Manchester City and Lee Grant from Derby.

Stoke C at home, have beaten both bottom clubs Sunderland and Swansea, they drew with West Bromwich Albion and lost heavily to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. They won away at Hull City, drawn with Middlesbrough, Manchester United and West Ham. They lost at Everton and Crystal Palace.

Stoke City Team News:

Glen Whelan picked up a hamstring injury playing for Ireland against Austria. Jack Butland is back in training and might be available for the game on Saturday. Xherdan Shaqiri picked up a hamstring injury in the early part of their game against Swansea and missed the last game at West Ham but will be available for Saturday. Also likely to still be out is Geoff Cameron with a knee injury. They will also have Marko Arnautovic available again after suspension.

Player to watch: Joe Allen

Joe Allen, a good signing from Liverpool. He did well for Wales in Euro 2016 and will be a player to watch, scored four times in the Premier League from his midfield position this season and has two assists to his name as well.

AFC Bournemouth Team News:

No reports of any injuries to our players from the International break. No more news on Andrew Surman and if he will be available for the trip to Stoke on Saturday. Adam Smith is out due to suspension. Callum Wilson could also be a doubt.

Player to watch: Harry Arter

Harry Arter will back from playing for Ireland where he had a good second half and we need him to be on top of his form in midfield against Stoke C.

Match Facts & Stats

Our visits to play Stoke City haven`t been successful ones and we haven`t picked up a point in our last six visits, we have lost each time. Last season in both our home and away games Stoke City beat us and went on to win three games on the bounce on both occasions, the best they did last season. League games at Stoke, we have won 1, drawn 2 and lost 8. Our home record is better, we have won 4, drawn 4 and lost 3. In all competitions AFCB have won 5, drawn 6 and lost 13. In our last away game at Stoke, besides being beaten we also lost Callum Wilson to a long term injury. Let's hope he has better luck this time if he plays on Saturday.

More games: friv

How did African stars do in Europe's top leagues this weekend?

While Casimir Ninga sparkled for Montpellier, African stars like Algerian Riyad Mahrez and Ivorian Wilfried Bony wasted scoring chances in the English Premier League.

France-based Chadian Casimir Ninga was the unlikely star of a largely frustrating weekend for Africans across Europe.

The 23-year-old scored his first Ligue 1 hat-trick -- twice giving Montpellier a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw at fellow strugglers Dijon.

While Ninga sparkled, African stars like Algerian Riyad Mahrez and Ivorian Wilfried Bony wasted scoring chances in the English Premier League.

Montpellier's Chadian forward Casimir Ninga celebrates after scoring during the French L1 football match between Dijon FCO (DFCO) and Montpellier HSC (MHSC) at the Gaston Gerard stadium in Dijon PHILIPPE DESMAZES (AFP)

ENGLAND

VICTOR MOSES (Chelsea)

The Nigeria winger made his first start for Chelsea since May 2013 at wing-back and played his part in a much-improved defensive display as Antonio Conte's side won 2-0 at Hull City.

Victor Moses of Chelsea in action during the Premier League match between Hull City and Chelsea at KCOM Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Hull, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Shaun Botterill (Getty Images)

RIYAD MAHREZ (Leicester City)

After a season where everything went right for the Algeria flyer and champions Leicester, player and club both endured a frustrating afternoon in a goalless draw with Southampton. Mahrez, last season's player of the year, shot woefully wide from the edge of the area just before half-time.

YANNICK BOLASIE (Everton)

The Democratic Republic of Congo winger gave his former team-mates a reminder of what they had been missing with some sublime play down the flanks for Everton in their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and the skill that created a chance for Senegalese Idrissa Gueye ought to have been rewarded with a goal.

WILFRIED BONY (Stoke City)

On loan from Manchester City, the Ivory Coast forward found chances few and far to come by during a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Manchester United. But he should have done better when, in the first half, he mis-kicked at Joe Allen's inviting cross from the right-hand byline.

SPAIN

KEVIN-PRINCE BOATENG (Las Palmas)

For the second consecutive game, retired Ghana midfielder Boateng conceded a penalty for hand-ball. However, this time he wasn't sent off for the offence and played a big part in Las Palmas' fight back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Osasuna. The former AC Milan man also saw a fine strike from outside the box come back off the post.

BAKARY KONE (Malaga)

Burkina Faso defender Kone was sent off deep into stoppage time for a reckless second yellow card, but Malaga held on to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 and move out of the relegation zone.

ITALY

MOHAMED SALAH (Roma)

Salah set Bruno Peres free down the right for Edin Dzeko's fifth-minute tap-in as Roma won 2-1 at home to Inter Milan. The Egypt winger was a constant threat on his way to creating four scoring chances for himself and providing six crosses. Salah, who has three league goals in seven games, should have added one of his own in the first half when a burst of pace took him on to Dzeko's through ball, but his shot shaved the outside of the upright.

AS Roma's Mohamed Salah controls the ball. MAX ROSSI (REUTERS)

KEITA BALDE (Lazio)

Balde suffered an early knock at Udinese, but made light of the pain to fire Lazio into a 2-0 lead after Ciro Immobile had struck on the half hour for the visitors. Having been frozen out at the capital club amid a contract dispute, the Senegal international now looks to have resolved his issues at Lazio. Keita, who hit the opener last week in a 2-0 win over Empoli, scored in back-to-back Serie A games for the first time.

FRANCE

CASIMIR NINGA (Montpellier)

The Chad international grabbed his first Ligue 1 hat-trick in a 3-3 draw at Dijon. Ninga's quickfire double in the first half put Montpellier 2-0 ahead, and he then restored the visitors' two-goal lead after Dijon pulled one back. His heroics weren't enough, though, as Montpellier conceded twice late on and their winless run stretched to seven matches.

CHEICK DOUKOURE (Metz)

The Ivorian midfielder was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Monaco's Kevin N'Doram as promoted Metz suffered a humiliating 7-0 home defeat. With his side trailing 3-0 on the hour, Doukoure's dismissal opened the floodgates and Monaco recorded their biggest away league win.

GERMANY

LAMINE SANE (Werder Bremen)

The Senegal centre-back headed Werder Bremen's second-half goal in their 2-2 draw at Darmstadt, which keeps them out of the Bundesliga relegation places. After Antonio-Mirko Colak gave the hosts an early lead, Sane headed Bremen level from a Gebre Selassie free-kick.

ERIC CHOUPO-MOTING (Schalke 04)

The Cameroon striker converted a penalty in Schalke's 4-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach, which dragged them off the bottom of the league table. After five straight defeats, the Royal Blues picked up their first win of the season as Choupo-Moting claimed his second league goal of the season after being brought down in the area by Guinea midfielder Ibrahima Traore.

Ten Premier League players that are no longer wanted by their clubs

New brooms tend to sweep clean at football clubs, and with the season now just days away and the transfer window three weeks from being shut, there are a number of Premier League players with uncertain futures. ESPN FC selects 10 of them.

Juan Mata | M | 28 | Manchester United

Jose Mourinho's substitution on Sunday of a substitute he once shipped out of Chelsea was explained away as a measure to counter the aerial threat of Leicester City as Manchester United attempted to hang onto their 2-1 lead. That Henrikh Mkhitaryan, hardly a man mountain, was Mata's replacement brought that into question. United insiders suggest Mata's future is not yet decided, but having spent £157.25 million this summer, Mata looks an asset to be cashed in.

Christian Benteke | F | 25 | Liverpool

The summer additions of Sadio Mane from Southampton and Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle show the direction in which Jurgen Klopp is taking Liverpool: quick, attacking midfielders to hit opponents on the counter and defend from the front. That would appear to make a target man obsolete, and last summer's £32.5m buy is on the market. A link with Crystal Palace looks Benteke's most likely escape from a wasted year on Merseyside.

A substitute himself, Juan Mata was substituted off in Manchester United's Community Shield win vs. Leicester City.

Eliaquim Mangala | D | 25 | Manchester City

When news of John Stones's arrival seeped through after Manchester City's Champions League qualifier squad was announced with his name on it, Mangala's Eastlands future was laid bare. He cost the club £42m two years ago, just £5.5m less than the fee reportedly paid out to Everton for Stones. Manuel Pellegrini never got a tune out of him, and it seems Pep Guardiola has not been impressed with Mangala in training. He looks likely to be cashed in at a huge loss.

Nabil Bentaleb | M | 21 | Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino takes a hardline attitude to those he views as surplus to requirements. The Algerian is still just 21 but dropped out of the central midfield reckoning last season behind Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele. The arrival of Victor Wanyama would seem to seal his fate. A loan move to Benfica has been mooted, as has a transfer to Juventus to replace Paul Pogba, and Tottenham will be, as ever, keen to drive a hard bargain.

Bastian Schweinsteiger | M | 32 | Manchester United

Mourinho has made himself very unpopular in Germany with his excommunication of the former national captain, but there appears no going back on his decision to banish Schweinsteiger from Man United's first team. For all the use "Schweini" is to United now, he may as well have been in Rio cheering on new wife Ana Ivanovic's failed attempt to win Olympic tennis gold. Louis van Gaal landed Schweinsteiger at a budget price of £6.5m and any takers now would probably expect to pay less.

Samir Nasri | M | 29 | Manchester City

Just like Mangala, Jesus Navas and Wilfried Bony -- three failed Pellegrini signings -- Nasri, after five years at City, is headed for the exit. Perhaps the surprise is that the Frenchman lasted this long, since he never quite established himself, despite the odd flourish of his undoubted potential. Turning up at preseason over the weight that Guardiola would like him at did not help his prospects and neither may not have some unseemly headlines about his summer holidays. Nasri is reportedly training alone on the Etihad Campus.

After reportedly showing up to training camp overweight, Samir Nasri is said to be training on his own at Man City.

Phil Jagielka | D | 33 | Everton

The departures of Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman as their contracts expired this summer suggest that time waits for no man at the new Everton, and fellow veteran Jagielka might be the next of the old guard out. Ashley Williams is coming into central defence just as Stones leaves, while Sunderland's Lamine Kone is being targeted. Moyes and Sunderland may offer refuge; Jagielka was given the Everton captaincy by the Scot. At 33, it looks by far the best possible option.

Mario Balotelli | F | 25 | Liverpool

When it comes to being unwanted, nobody on this list matches the level of exile that Balotelli finds himself in. Klopp has never included the Italian maverick in his plans and any return to AC Milan is out after a disappointing loan spell back at San Siro last season. After Besiktas admitted they could not afford him, Chievo looks a possible destination, though again finances look prohibitive. Balotelli has two seasons left on his Liverpool contract.

Adnan Januzaj | M | 21 | Manchester United

Former United manager Moyes once said that Januzaj reminded him of Johan Cruyff, though the chances of the Belgian international revolutionising European football seem somewhat remote, even if he is just 21. Poor attitudes to training are reported to have irked Mourinho, and Januzaj has been banished with Schweinsteiger to the youth ranks. Last year's loan at Borussia Dortmund was a dud, and Januzaj is at a crossroads. Another loan looks likely. Perhaps Moyes' Sunderland might fancy.

Diafra Sakho | F | 26 | West Ham United

The collapse of last week's transfer to West Brom because of a failed medical left the Senegalese striker in limbo. Having asked to leave the Hammers earlier in the summer, that £16m deal dying has left him with no place to turn to other than to try and win back the faith of manager Slaven Bilic. An olive branch was offered last week. "I am a bit sorry for him and a bit surprised that he didn't pass the medical," Bilic said last Thursday. "He's a good player, he's our player."

Wilfired Bony to join Vardy in Leicester City ?

Wilfried Bony’s future with Manchester City is still unknown. The Ivorian striker said recently that he still have a contract with the Citizens and that he didn’t think about leaving the club.

However, Pep Guardiola’s arrival could push the player to start looking for a new destination. According to “Daily Star”, former Swansea City striker could move to Leicester City.

Last season’s champion of the Premier League tried to sign Watford’s Troy Deeney but this move didn’t come to an end. Therefore, the Ivorian striker could represent a great option for Leicester.

Football News & Rumors: Swansea City okay to disregard £16M balance to bring back Wilfried Bony from Manchester City

English Premier League side Swansea City is prepared to disregard Manchester City's £16 million balance from last year's £28 million sale of Wilfried Bony if they return the Ivorian striker back to the Liberty Stadium this summer.

The Swans sold the 27-year-old forward to the Citizens in January 2015 for a transfer fee of £28 million. 

The Ivory Coast international was then signed to a four-and-a-half-year contract, but after only one-and-a-half seasons, Bony was not able to meet expectations at the Etihad and incoming manager Pep Guardiola is allegedly ready to let him go in the offseason.

City was only able to disburse £12 million to chairman Huw Jenkins' club since the deal was made and so there is still £16 million left to pay.

However, Swansea is said to be "ready to write off the outstanding £16 million balance" if City allows Bony to leave the squad and return to their side in the summer transfer window, the Daily Mirror reported.

The 5-foot-11 Bingerville, Ivory Coast native was considered as one of the world's best strikers when he was still with Dutch football club SBV Vitesse. He played with the Eredivisie squad for three seasons, scoring an astounding 53 goals in 73 games from 2010 to 2013, before he moved to England to suit up with Swansea.

Two seasons in Swansea saw him score 35 goals in 70 appearances which made him a high-value target in the winter of 2015.

However, his one-and-a-half season stay with City did not produce the desires results as he only scored 10 goals in a total of 46 games in all competitions for the Etihad giants being overtaken by Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho as the main backup of Argentine goalscorer Sergio Agüero up front, Caught Offside noted.

Still, manager Francesco Guidolin is keen on taking him back from the Citizens this summer even at the expense of writing off past debts.

This season, Bony only netted four goals in 26 Premier League appearances, only 13 of which as a starter, which is said to be not deemed highly by Guardiola.

The Spanish manager, who had just won his third straight Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich, is rumored to be set in overhauling City's roster this summer starting with his offensive options.

Nasri is Man City's hero as Pellegrini's Bony obsession continues to baffle

The Ivory Coast striker has rarely looked at home in a City shirt and is likely to be moved on this summer, but still he starts in place of the promising Kelechi Iheanacho

Samir Nasri showed Wilfried Bony how it's done on a day when it was the result that mattered most for Manchester City.

Nasri made his first start since September after battling back from a nasty injury that involved his tendon completely removing itself from his thigh bone, something which required around 100 stitches and six months on the sidelines.

He has worked so hard in training that Manuel Pellegrini's decision to remove him from the Champions League squad at the expense of promising striker Kelechi Iheanacho looks premature. Consulting with doctors a month ago, it seemed certain Nasri would not be able to feature in the competition's latter stages, but here he is, back in contention as his team-mates look to progress to the semi-finals.

It might be seen as hindsight in its purest form to suggest he should not have been removed in the first place but for the fact that Iheanacho doesn't look like he will be trusted to play.

Bony continues to get the nod above the 19-year-old - a typically Pellegrini decision and one that is increasingly angering supporters.

Bony simply has not settled into this City team since signing from Swansea for £30 million (including £5m VAT, it was revealed by Football Leaks) last January. He scored twice at the tail end of last season, against his former club and Saturday's opposition, West Brom.





He has hit eight this season but none since the rout of Sunderland on Boxing Day and does not look like breaking that duck. The details of the deal that brought him to the Etihad were leaked as he toiled around the pitch in a goalless draw with Norwich City last month. He did not touch the ball within five yards of the penalty box that day. 

Here, he touched it 25 times in total, ahead only of Joe Hart in the City ranks. Two of those were in the area and two of them were in the centre circle, at kick-offs.

Bony had done little to justifty his start at Norwich nearly a month ago and nothing in the interim to deserve another.

Pellegrini was brought to the club in part to nurture the young talent honing their skills at the brand new Etihad Campus but while it is unrealistic to expect swathes of teenagers to feature in the first team, nobody could say the manager has given the top talents a fair crack of the whip.

He has repeatedly praised Iheanacho, insisting that he played a personal role in the Nigerian being granted his work permit a year ago after months of wrangling, while he says the decision to let Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko leave without replacement was in part down to his faith in the youngster.

But it seems Iheanacho has only featured when there was little choice. Bony has struggled with injuries this season - in his defence, he has recovered from a bout of pre-season malaria - and Kelechi has taken his chances in the first team, notching nine goals and proving why there is so much buzz around this confident, skilful striker.

An FA Cup hat-trick against Aston Villa - as Bony was sidelined with a calf injury - was further proof of his prodigous talent, but you have to wonder now whether he would have got that chance had the Ivorian been fit.

Since returning from that calf injury in March, he has leapfrogged Iheanacho in the pecking order. Forty-five minutes at Anfield were followed by a starts against Villa and Norwich, in which he did little. As City chased the game against Manchester United it was Bony who was brought off the bench as Pellegrini's final substitute.

Iheanacho did come off the bench against Bournemouth last week but, when the chips were down in Paris in midweek, Bony was turned to again. In all these appearances he has done nothing to suggest he deserves to start.

City looked much livelier the second he was withdrawn against the Baggies. Kevin De Bruyne and Yaya Toure added energy and, within two minutes of Bony's departure, Nasri had swept home the winner at the far post. 

Nasri may yet have a role to play as City look to nail down a top-four finish, but Bony's race is surely run. It appears Pellegrini trusts the striker more than Iheanacho, and fortunately for the youngster that is a situation which will surely change this summer when Pep Guardiola takes the reins. 

Manchester City boss Pellegrini hails 'hard working, important' Nasri

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini hailed Samir Nasri as a "hard working, important player" after the French international marked only his second league start of the season with the winner against West Brom.

However, the 28-year-old won't feature in Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal second leg home clash against Paris Saint-Germain after not being included in City’s Champions League squad due to his lengthy absence.

“We expected he was going to come back in the middle of April but we needed to play the Champions League in February and we had just Kun (Aguero) as a striker," said the City manager.

“(Wilfried) Bony was injured so it was important to include Kelechi (Iheanacho) so Samir Nasri had to stay out, but I don’t think he is able to play in three days’ more.

“I’m very happy for him. He was very unlucky to have that kind of injury. It’s very strange to have six months with a muscle injury but he had to have surgery.

“He has worked very well and returned sooner than the doctor expected. I am very impressed he played the 90 minutes after so many months without playing. He is a very important player.”

Nasri, who had to undergo surgery after a thigh muscle was torn from the bone in a training-ground injury last October, said: “It was great to be back and to score the winning goal.

“It has been more than five months since I have been out so I can't explain how happy I am. It is the best thing to do before we play Paris St-Germain in the Champions League next week.

"The medical staff have done some good work but when you are out for so long, you want to prove to everyone you have the quality to be in the side. With all the new players, I wanted to contribute to the team."

Stephane Sessegnon’s early strike gave West Brom the lead but that was cancelled out by Aguero’s penalty – his 23rd goal of the season.

Nasri, in his first start since September, scored the winning goal as City moved within two points of third-placed Arsenal who were held to a 3-3 draw at West Ham in the race to finish in the top four and secure Champions League football for next season.

“It was very difficult for me to choose the choose the starting 11 for different reasons, players that had some problem, players that were tired, players like Yaya (Toure) who had worked for just two days and players like Samir Nasri and (Fabian) Delph who had to play together after so many months without playing," added Pellegrini.

“We are always looking up, not behind our shoulders. You must continue to be as near to the top of the table as you can.

“This was a very important game because the four teams who are involved with us in those positions in the table play together, West Ham and Arsenal, and tomorrow Tottenham and Manchester United."

West Brom manager Tony Pulis was adamant his side should have had a penalty when Eliaquim Mangala barged midfielder Sandro in the back when the score was 1-1 early in the second half.

Even still, his side, which has won just one of their last 10 away league games, pushed City all the way and could have scored a late equaliser with chances for Saido Berahino and James McClean.

“I thought it was a penalty. It does not just affect us as a result, but all the teams around City who are fighting for the Champions League when there are millions at stake. They will be disappointed with that decision," said Pulis.