Bournemouth to edge promotion rivals clash
The 2021/2022 EFL Championship season gets underway on Friday night at the Vitality Stadium, where AFC Bournemouth take on West Bromwich Albion. Newly appointed Cherries boss Scott Parker will be targetting an immediate return to the Premier League where he was unable to prevent Fulham slipping back into the second tier during 2020/2021. Similarly, there is a new man at the helm with the Baggies. Former Barnsley boss Valérien Ismaël has swapped South Yorkshire for the West Midlands, and with it, a larger budget and higher expectations. It will take time for him to convert a very direct side into one more befitting his preferred, very distinctive tactical philosophy. Read our preview here:
Babbling Brooks
The south coast side already have the advantage of playing competitively this term, albeit in a strange game against a very disjointed Milton Keynes Dons. Nevertheless, the 5-0 win with four different scorers will stand them in good stead to make early headway on home turf once more on Friday under the lights and cameras. David Brooks nabbed a brace last weekend, and will fancy his chances of adding to his nascent goal tally, operating in the right half-space of a front three. The Welsh international will cut inside to provide foil for Dominic Solanke and create space for midfield runners, and with no obvious pivot in the opposition midfield, there could be room to operate in between the lines.
Diangana's different Grady
Matheus Pereira looks set to complete a move to Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal at the time of writing, so is almost certain not to feature in WBA's trip south. Alex Mowatt has been brought over by Ismaël to keep the midfield ticking over, and is almost certain to be deployed in and out of possession ahead of the underperforming Jake Livermore, should the latter have the new head coach's confidence. Elsewhere, Adam Reach, acquired from Sheffield Wednesday, will be waiting in the wings should Conor Townsend's form dip on the left behind Grady Diangana. The 23 year old will be hoping for more starts now that they're back in the Championship, where he'll look to use his dribbling ability to carry the ball forwards into dangerous areas.
No sours, only sweets
Both teams are heavily tipped to at least make the top six, if not the automatic promotion places. However, neither appear to be ominously strong on paper, though Solanke is at last starting to fulfil some of his early potential with consistent gametime and goals. Parker will look to harness that as the campaign wears on, and he'll want the former Liverpool striker to lay down a marker to the rest of the division on Friday evening. Parimatch have odds of 2.30 for a Bournemouth win.
