Bournemouth have just one win from eight games but manager Eddie Howe said his team has not done a lot wrong during the ongoing relegation battle.
Bournemouth visit Crystal Palace on Tuesday having lost their last three games, placing them just four points clear of the bottom three.
But Howe refused to worry too much about the results, urging his players to be more consistency as they look to stop the slide.
“In the four seasons that we’ve managed to stay in the Premier League, I think in those four seasons they have been a relegation battle, it’s just we’ve managed to keep our heads above the line in all of those seasons,” the 42-year-old said.
“In other people’s eyes from the outside you go, ‘that's quite comfortable’.
“The reality is it’s always been very tight and we’ve just managed to get a big result when we’ve needed it, we’ve managed to always stick together through the difficult periods and this season is going to be no different.
“I don’t think there’s a lot wrong with the team, I think we’re in pretty good shape but we have to be more consistent throughout the games.
“There have been slight inconsistencies that have ended up costing us the games, so we have to put a complete performance together, starting tomorrow.”
Despite the form of his team, Howe continues to get linked to other jobs. When asked about a possible move to Everton should Marco Silva be sacked, Howe said: “It’s not right in any way for me to comment on that. I’m working hard here now to get a result tomorrow, so with the run of form we’re in, I find that not the right question to answer.”
Howe offered his condolences to former Bournemouth striker Benik Afobe following the death of his daughter. Afobe, who played for the team between 2016 and 2018, announced on Sunday that two-year-old Amora had died on Friday following an infection.
"It’s tragic news for Benik, [partner] Lois, and the whole Afobe family. Knowing them as well as I do, we really feel their pain and share their pain,” said Howe.
Bournemouth will have captain Simon Francis and midfielder Philip Billing back from one-match suspensions at Selhurst Park. Cherries winger Harry Wilson is pushing for a start after scoring twice as a substitute against Tottenham and full-back Adam Smith could return from illness but forward Joshua King is not expected to overcome a hamstring injury in time.
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Abu Dhabi GP starting grid
1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
5 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
6 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7 Romain Grosjean (Haas)
8 Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
9 Esteban Ocon (Force India)
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
11 Carlos Sainz (Renault)
12 Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)
13 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
14 Sergio Perez (Force India)
15 Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
16 Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
17 Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
18 Stoffe Vandoorne (McLaren)
19 Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
20 Lance Stroll (Williams)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
